Washington Criminal Lawyers

On a day that’s widely known for protests and strikes for worker solidarity and general human rights, protestors in Seattle began with vandalism and violence and ended with underwhelming crowds. According to the Seattle Times, the city had three distinct marches on Tuesday, with the first being the most volatile. [read more..]

A pilot program that sought to challenge the current ways of supervising probationers and parolees may turn into sweeping changes across the board in community supervision. The program countered violations with swift and short jail stints, and it seems to have worked. [read more..]

Three children have been shot in less than a month in the state, two more than the annual average. Two have died and one 8-year old girl is recovering from her injuries. As is usually the case when tragedies like this occur, legislators and many within the community are asking if better gun laws could have prevented the accidents and if new laws could prevent similar future ones. [read more..]

James Konat has been with the King County prosecutor’s office since 1989. He has successfully prosecuted several high profile cases, according to the Seattle Times. But his career ended abruptly when he chose to make some highly questionable comments to witnesses in a murder case. [read more..]

In the wake of an ongoing investigation by the Department of Justice, Seattle Police Chief John Diaz is ordering some major changes, calling for a “complete revamp of how the Police Department develops its ‘professional standards and expectations’ for officers.” The Department will also be reviewing all of its policies and procedures. [read more..]

Budget cuts are imminent and the Department of Corrections is just one state agency making preparations for those cuts. The state has asked agencies to make budget proposals should their financial allotment be cut by both 5% and 10%. Though the DOC is hoping they won’t see cuts as drastic as these, they have submitted proposals for the significant cuts nonetheless—proposals that suggest big changes to who is supervised after their release from prison. [read more..]

As part of an ongoing investigation into the Seattle Police Department, the Department of Justice sent a letter to Mayor Mike McGinn in which they slammed the department for allowing officers to invoke protection against self-incrimination in even routine investigations, preventing accountability. [read more..]

With how much we depend on plastic currency, it was only a matter of time before thieves also turned their attention from cash to ATM cards and credit. Incidences of “skimming”, the process of stealing vital account information from ATMs, is on the rise in the area, with one U.S. Attorney being the latest victim, according to the Seattle Times. [read more..]

Grant County and all of its 89,000 residents have seen a boom in gang activity over the past several years. But because their drive-bys and gang related burglaries can’t compete with those in Seattle, for instance, their access to federal assistance is nil. While some community members are wishing they could pack up and move, others think the problem is overstated. [read more..]

When you’re charged with a criminal offense, the judge has three choices: to release you on your own recognizance, to set bail, or to release you to community corrections alternatives (like house arrest). If King County Councilmember Bob Ferguson gets his way, however, that choice won’t always be in the hands of the judiciary. [read more..]