Monthly Archives: June 2016

Trial by Jury

The right to a trial by jury is the most fundamental constitutional right a criminal defendant is granted. Upon a conviction after a jury trial, a defendant has the right to appeal a finding of guilt. In order for an appellate court to hear an appeal from a lower court the aggrieved party must demonstrate… Continue Reading »

Domestic Violence; Self Defense

In the relatively recent domestic violence case of City of Tacoma v. Driscoll (Wash. Ct. App. Mar. 22, 2016), The Court of Appeals, Division II reversed a conviction, and remanded the case for a new trial because it found that the lower court violated the defendant’s right to present a defense when it excluded the… Continue Reading »

All About The Evidence

Evidence exists in many different forms. Many of which are introduced in trial and some that are not. Scientific and forensic types of evidence can be extremely helpful in proving a case, but there are rules and standards that these types of evidence must meet before they can be submitted during a trial. Scientific evidence… Continue Reading »

Strategizing Your Criminal Case

Soon after a defendant explains his or her story to a criminal lawyer, they will probably collaborate with each other to come up with a strategy that will work best in court. Generally speaking, this strategy will be based upon the story that the defendant tells his or her attorney, but in most cases will… Continue Reading »

Who Files?

Many Washingtonians think that they, as citizens, have an absolute right to press – or not – criminal charges against another person. Unfortunately, this simply is not the case. That said, it is true that a police officer who responds to a domestic violence related incident is, by law, required to complete a police incident report… Continue Reading »

Top 10 List

Have you ever wondered where the most DUI arrests arise out of? Although a DUI can take place virtually anywhere on our Washington roadways, there are some locales that seem to be more prone to DUI’s than others. Interestingly, DUI arrestees in Washington (for the period ranging from January 2012 to mid-May 2016) most often… Continue Reading »

Juvie Law

The criminal justice system for juveniles in every State in the United States is different than adults charged with a crime. Usually, the standards and penalties are different, and these juvenile cases are typically filed in the respective counties Juvenile Court. In the eyes of the law, a juvenile or a minor, is any person… Continue Reading »