Monthly Archives: March 2019

DUI’s – All Shapes and Sizes

DUI’s don’t just happen when someone is pulled over by a police officer. Case in point – on March 21, 2019, a suspected drunken driver crashed into a pulled-over patrol car in Bremerton, Washington; apparently first responders had to dive for safety during the event, but luckily there were no serious injuries. The incident happened… Continue Reading »

Search and Seizure Laws

A police officer conducting a traffic stop may search your vehicle and seize evidence without  a warrant under certain conditions. The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects citizens from unreasonable search and seizure, but interpretations of “reasonableness” have changed throughout history. Under the exclusionary rule, the prosecution cannot use any evidence or information obtained… Continue Reading »

St. Patty Day DUI Results

The St. Patrick’s Day weekend is over. But perhaps not for some. According to the latest numbers, there were 94 DUI arrests in-and-around Pierce, Thurston and King Counties. Snohomish County and Whatcom County are still tallying up their total DUI arrests. In Pierce County 31 arrests, according to the State Patrol, were the result of… Continue Reading »

What will be the Impact of SPD hiring Bonuses

SQ Attorneys

Recently, the Seattle City Council resoundingly passed legislation for SPD hiring bonuses. The intent of the new legislation is to entice: (1) officers from other police departments, and (2) new police recruits to apply for and become Seattle police officers. Trained officers will be given a $15,000 bonus, and new recruits will be given a… Continue Reading »

Manufacturing and Cultivating Drugs

Cultivating or manufacturing illegal drugs, such as methamphetamine or marijuana, is illegal under federal and state laws (with limited exceptions for marijuana in states such as Washington, Colorado and several other states which are beginning to legalize marijuana). Drug “manufacturing,” in a criminal law setting, occurs when an individual is involved in any step of… Continue Reading »

The Juvenile Process

The procedure of the juvenile court system is different from the adult system. For example, after committing an offense, juveniles are “detained” rather than arrested. Next, a petition is drawn up which is the official charging document or otherwise known as the criminal complaint. This petition outlines the jurisdiction authority of the juvenile court over… Continue Reading »

Efforts to Curb Recidivism

There has been a recent uprising in the Seattle business community to stamp out the recidivism rate of crime in the City. Earlier this week Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan was pressured by groups representing Seattle businesses to deal with repeat offenders that are making the City unsafe. They want more done to find ways to… Continue Reading »