Washington Criminal Lawyers

May Day 2012 marked a day of protest around the world. In the U.S. these protests were particularly large in cities like New York, Oakland, and San Francisco. But the May Day activities in Seattle made front page news, not because of the large numbers or some positive change they effected, but because the failed and allegedly violent police response. [read more..]

In Spokane Washington, former police officer Karl F. Thompson Jr., 65, was sentenced to four years and three months in the beating death of mentally disabled janitor, 36-year old Otto Zehm. U.S. District Court Judge Fred Van Sickle remarked that he hoped the sentence would bring closure to Zehm’s family and the community, who reacted with justifiable outrage at the brutal death. [read more..]

The Seattle Police Department is in a period of change. It has been criticized for having a culture of brutality, and now the feds are stepping in. The Department of Justice determined after an extensive investigation that the city had engaged in a “pattern of excessive force,” and now the city will be under the oversight of an independent monitor as they try to clean up their own mess. [read more..]

The Seattle Police Department intends on using drones—the small, unmanned aircrafts most often used in war. Many citizens aren’t happy about this intention, and they are making their disdain known. [read more..]

A 22-year old man died while in the custody of the Snohomish County jail. His mother blames his serious medical problems, problems that may have been more quickly dealt with had he been home, where someone facing only misdemeanor pot charges probably should be. [read more..]

Tacoma police are facing a backlash after they responded to a woman’s 911 call by using a taser to arrest her. Yes, you read that right. She was the victim of a crime, called police, and was then victimized by the cops. Oh, and she’s deaf. [read more..]

Just short of the July 31 deadline, Seattle officials agreed to the terms offered by the Justice Department—requiring federal oversight and reforms. Had the department not agreed, the feds were threatening a lawsuit. Now, Seattle residents can hope that significant changes will be made in an effort to repair a broken relationship between the department and the people they are paid to protect. [read more..]

In 2008, the Seattle Police Department lost over 100,000 dashcam videos due to a hardware malfunction. At the time, prosecutors were not informed of the incident, though it could have played a role in perhaps hundreds or thousands of cases. According to SeattlePI.com, that’s not the only problem with the cameras affixed to police cruiser dashes. [read more..]

The Department of Justice’s welcome among the Seattle Police Department seems to be wearing thin. They were brought in to investigate biased policing last year and issued a report in December indicating there was evidence of such policing. But their reports are being criticized by city officials in a civil rights lawsuit filed by a Seattle citizen. [read more..]

Seattle police admit that gangs may be playing a role with the increased homicide rate in the city, guns are even more to blame. This week they addressed the City Council and worked on new approaches to reducing violence in the city that is plagued by mistrust of an embroiled police department. [read more..]