Clear as mud, as they say. Seattle property destruction laws are enforceable. Wait, not always? Say what? Earlier this month a U.S. District Court judge issued an injunction barring Seattle police from making graffiti arrests. The court issued the injunction on the principles of free speech saying that the criminalization of free speech significantly harms public interests; censorship violates the tenants of our constitutional protections. The injunction, however, does not protect non-free speech related property crimes such as slashing tires, breaking windows and destroying someone else’s personal property. The court clarified last week that only the graffiti subsection of the property destruction law was affected by the injunction. So, currently the rule of law is that graffiti is tolerated in Seattle while things like breaking windows and breaking or defacing your neighbor’s gnome are not, unless perhaps the window or gnome at issue is graffiti-ed … but at this point, who knows … leave that to the Seattle police (the ones who make arrests) and prosecutors (the ones who file criminal charges) to figure out.
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. SQ Attorneys can be reached at (425) 359-3791 and/or (206) 441-0900.
