Monthly Archives: January 2012

WA Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Sex Offenders

Taxpayers may be on the hook for an additional $22.5 million a year for experts and lawyers in civil-commitment trials, depending on what the Washington Supreme Court decides. The case, State v. McCuistion, hinges on how easily sexually violent predators can obtain new trials seeking their freedom. If the state loses, dozens of sexually violent… Continue Reading »

Legislative Immunity – Should it be Allowed?

A little-known privilege called “legislative immunity” that prevents arrests of legislators is getting a closer look in the state of Arizona this year after a lawmaker introduced a resolution seeking to amend Arizona’s Constitution to delete wording that bars the arrest of legislators during, and 15 days before, legislative sessions. Arizona’s legislative immunity law, like… Continue Reading »

Senators Defend Washington Traffic Camera Law

Seven years ago, Democratic Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen of Camano Island pushed for a bill that paved the way for use of red-light cameras in Washington. And she doesn’t regret it, even as doubts about their effectiveness grow, cities’ dependence on the revenues they produce deepens and voters’ rejection of them spreads. Voters in Mukilteo,… Continue Reading »

A Shift in Prostitution Strategy

The City of Seattle is shifting its strategy on cracking down on prostitution within its city limits. The Seattle City Attorney’s Office intends to increase the number of men prosecuted for soliciting prostitution and give prostitutes the opportunity to receive social services designed to help get them out of the prostitution business. Currently, the ratio… Continue Reading »

Officer Charged With DUI

The Lakewood Police Department has launched an internal investigation after one of its officers was charged in October with drunken driving. The Tacoma News Tribune reports that 30-year-old Shawn Noble has pleaded not guilty in a Thurston County court to drunken driving charges. The department says Noble, a seven-year veteran, was pulled over in his… Continue Reading »

Stiffer Penalties for Vehicular Homicide

Current penalties for drivers who kill — due to alcohol or drug impairment, reckless driving, or driving with disregard for the safety of others — aren’t sufficient given that the loss of life is both predictable and preventable, said King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg. He noted that with time off for good behavior, most… Continue Reading »

Christmas Weekend DUI's down from Last Year

Although Washington State DUI numbers seem to be ever increasing, the numbers of drunken drivers arrested by the Washington State Patrol over the Christmas weekend holiday were actually down. The Washington State Patrol arrested 161 drivers suspected of being impaired by drugs and/or alcohol over that period. That is down from 194 arrests during the… Continue Reading »