Yes, you do have a right to protect your property and possibly even use force to do so, but you must be careful in taking such action. The legal term for this right is ‘stand your ground’ and essentially it means there is no duty to retreat – if a person is being attacked in an area they are allowed to be in, they do not have to try to escape to safety.

Even though you may have the right to stand your ground (and no duty to retreat), it does not mean that you won’t be charged with a crime if you elect to do so. Recently, a security guard on Capitol Hill found this out after he stabbed a man following a request that the man leave the property. When officers found the injured man, they noted that he had a stab wound near his collarbone.

Perhaps the security guard’s problem stems from the fact that he didn’t own up to things, as he initially denied having a knife or even stabbing the man. The police, however, found a knife in a break room under a bag of chips. They also learned that the interaction between the man and the security guard escalated because of the security guards behavior, not the injured man’s behavior. When it was all said and done, the injured man went to the hospital and the security guard went to jail, where he now may be facing criminal charges.

If you or a loved one is in a bind as a result of a criminal charge, immediately contact a Seattle Criminal Attorney. A Criminal lawyer is not going to judge you, and understands that everyone makes mistakes. Hiring a Seattle Criminal Lawyer to help can – at a minimum – reduce penalties, and can help direct people on how to best deal with their criminal charge, and many times even get them dismissed. So it should go without saying that someone cited for a misdemeanor or felony should hire a qualified Seattle Criminal Lawyer as soon as possible. Criminal charges can cause havoc on a person’s personal and professional life. Anyone charged with a crime in Washington State should immediately seek the assistance of a seasoned Seattle Criminal Lawyer.