A recent court ruling affirms, or otherwise allows, lawmakers to withhold records that are ‘privileged’. Albeit the scope of the ‘privilege’ is yet to be defined. Such a ruling deals a pretty big blow to those seeking governmental transparency and public access to records. This is now the second court to rule in such a way. The ruling(s) essentially allows the government to decide what information they are going to give to the public and what information they are not going to give to the public. At least that is the fear by some pundits. In late 2019 the Washington State Supreme Court said lawmakers were subject to the state’s Public Records Act. To get around this, lawmakers justified their actions of withholding certain records under the guise of ‘legislative privilege’. This is how we ended up with some new rulings that are sure to be further litigated to the higher court(s) moving forward. Another stay tuned type of situation is upon us.
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.
