Yearly Archives: 2013

New Year, New DUI Pilot Program

As of the New Year, drivers in 5 Washington counties/ municipalities that are found to be under the influence for a second or subsequent time will face tougher punishment. The 24/7 DUI Monitoring Program will take place in: Chelan County, Spokane County, and Thurston County, as well as in the cities of Kent and Centralia. Drivers… Continue Reading »

$27 fine to Smoke Pot in Seattle City Limits

As everyone pretty much knows by now, in 2012 Washington state voters approved I-502 legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana, and directing the Liquor Control Board to develop a process for regulating marijuana production, processing, selling, and delivery. I-502 includes a provision creating a civil infraction for consuming marijuana in public, with a fine… Continue Reading »

Emphasis Patrols Up and Running

Law enforcement personnel throughout our state have resumed Washington’s annual ‘holiday crackdown’.  As of this past weekend emphasis patrols are in full force and effect. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission coordinated the effort and a publicity campaign across our state has kicked off, inclusive of highlighting marijuana-impaired drivers, who exhibit delayed reaction times; if there were any doubt,… Continue Reading »

DUI Work Group Report Delivered, Changes to Follow?

The 2013 Washington Impaired Driving Work Group delivered a 152-page report on Monday of this week. The report suggested that Washington state should continue its fight against drunken driving by increasing penalties and establishing random sobriety checkpoints. The group who wrote the report considered 11 specific ideas for reducing DUIs, ranking them according to overall… Continue Reading »

That Crime Fightin' Turkey

Crazy as it may seem, Operation ‘Butterball One’ was in full force and effect this past week in Las Vegas. Drivers who didn’t stop at designated cross walks received a $191 ticket; motorcycle officers were standing by to write citations in an effort to keep the pedestrian death-rate down. Operation Butterball One was instituted because… Continue Reading »

Who is a Family or Household Member?

In Washington State Domestic violence includes: (a) Physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or the infliction of fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury or assault, between family or household members; (b) sexual assault of one family or household member by another; or (c) stalking as defined in RCW 9A.46.110 of one family or household member… Continue Reading »

2013 Holiday DUI Patrols Right Around the Corner

Last year between November 21, 2012 – January 1, 2013 a total of 795 people were arrested in King County during what has now become a yearly DUI enforcement campaign. During that same period last year, a total of 3,446 people were arrested statewide during the annual “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign (hereinafter,… Continue Reading »

A Pot Ban in Certain Communities? Is that Legal?

Can local Washington governments ban pot businesses hoping to participate in a legal marijuana market in Washington state? That is exactly what some Washington attorneys are now tasked with trying to figure out. Recently, the Washington Liquor Control Board (“WLCB”) inquired as to whether state law prohibits local governments from banning producers, processors or retailers… Continue Reading »

Conduct Unbecoming? Everett Police Say So …

The City of Everett defines Lewd Conduct in Sec. 10.24.020 of the Everett Municipal Code. Section 10.24.020 reads, in part: A person is guilty of lewd conduct in Everett if he or she intentionally performs any lewd act in a public place or under circumstances where such act is likely to be observed by any… Continue Reading »

Screws are Tightening on King County DV Cases

Recently King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg voiced his concern that he believed that domestic-violence cases are receiving inadequate attention in King County because Seattle police shifted investigation duties of apparent misdemeanor DV offenses from detectives to patrol officers. Satterberg alleged in a 2014 letter to the King County Counsel that the change hindered misdemeanor investigations… Continue Reading »