It is only natural for college kids to get into some trouble during their time in school. College students across the United States often participate in excess partying, underage drinking, and any form of rambunctious and reckless activity. While we generally expect lawful behavior from college s...
Nationwide, nearly every state is showing frustration at one issue that has plagued American citizens across the board: police violence and abuse. It's no secret that police hold nearly all the power in any situation that could result in criminal charges; and it SHOULDN'T be a secret that many of...
The Seattle Times reported an incident of a stolen garbage truck in late October. An 18-year-old male, unnamed, was attempting to intimidate the driver of the truck. When the driver went to inform the police, leaving the vehicle unattended, the young man hopped in and stole the truck. There was a...
Common sense suggests that it is not a good idea to point a laser at an airplane that is taking off or trying to land, given the potential to jeopardize the vision of the pilot, and therefore the health and safety of all the passengers as well. But did you know that it is also illegal to point a ...
King County Sheriff's deputies reported stopping an 11-year old boy who was driving a red Subaru Impreza erratically through a neighborhood bordering SeaTac airport. Deputies had to perform a “PIT” or “precision immobilization technique” maneuver – in which an officer slams the front bumper of hi...
Recent news reports out of Arizona regarding contempt of court charges against controversial Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio highlight a strange twist in the inquiry by a federal judge into the Sheriff's alleged discriminatory practices – one with a Seattle connection – and provide a good case...
The father of the teen who killed four classmates at Marysville-Pilchuck High School last fall was convicted last week of illegally possessing a half-dozen firearms, including the one his son used in the shooting. Just days before the chilling shooting at our neighboring state in Roseburg Oregon,...
While the conduct of police officers has been of much focus in our nation within the past year, some studies indicate that the number of people killed by police are increasing, not decreasing. While there are no national statistics on this matter, the Guardian estimated that the number of those k...
Yesterday, Washington state auditor Troy Kelly plead not guilty in court to additional charges relating to business dealings and tax filings. Kelley made the plea in a federal courtroom in Tacoma, and in a separate hearing a judge pushed back Kelley's trial date to March 14. Earlier this month a ...
The twin issues of illegal immigration and crimes committed by immigrants have surfaced with greater frequency in the news in recent weeks. In part, the start of the 2016 presidential campaign has brought increased attention to the immigration-related issue of border security. For example, Republ...
According to a new report produced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's ("SAMHSA") Center for Behavioral Health Statistics, college students tend to experiment with specific types of drugs for the first time during certain times of year. Specifically, they tend to wa...
Just two months after the tragic Charleston shooting, the nation is once again shaken by another high-profile shooting in Virginia. This has naturally thrust the debate over firearms back into the spotlight, and what should be legal, illegal, etc. However, it is important to note that owning a fi...
In a controversy that shocked the nation, the former spokesperson for the sandwich chain "Subway", Jared Fogle, is expected to plead guilty to charges of possession of child pornography. Back in July, FBI officials with a warrant raided Fogle's home in Indiana and seized electronics. Back in May,...
As police misconduct once again makes national headlines, disparate impact of vehicular stop and frisks on certain communities, once again, cannot be ignored. While my last blog discusses the general requirements and exceptions for warrantless searches, this blog discusses in greater detail the c...
This past weekend, a lengthy, 18 month drug trafficking investigation (a Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation) of a criminal group with ties to California and Mexico resulted in 17 arrests-- seven of whom are from Kent, Washington. In the course of 36 hours, local, state,...
As shown with the plethora of 'law and order' type tv shows out there, there is more than just one type of murder charge one may face, and knowing the difference between all of them can get pretty confusing. This blog seeks to explain the basic differences between all of them. It goes without sa...
June and July have seen no shortage of controversial events and tragedies around the country—all of which have stemmed from bias and discrimination against certain groups. For one, federal officials are now investigating the church shooting in Charleston as a hate crime, since there is much evide...
What is Domestic Violence (DV?) Washington State law defines domestic violence (DV) offenses as virtually any criminal act committed by one "family or household member" against another. The crime is covered in Title 26 of the Revised Code of Washington (See 26.50- domestic violence prevention) a...
This blog seeks to explain two basic concepts in criminal law which tends to confuse most- double jeopardy, and dual sovereignty. What does it all mean, and what are the ramifications if you are charged with a crime in one state instead of two Double jeopardy is a constitutional principle that c...
In recent statistics, it has been shown that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) has more than tripled its use of wiretaps and other types of electronic eavesdropping over the past decade- increasing from 3,394 in 2000, to 11,681 electronic intercepts in 2014. This year showed an inc...
Recently, the news story of a police officer pulling over a fire chief as he was rushing over to the scene of a car accident took the internet by storm. On April 10, a garbage truck driving at a speed of about 45 miles an hour collided with a fuel-tanker in Rincon, Georgia. The tanker was carryin...
Due to the seemingly unending current events surrounding police and citizen relations, it has been a busy year for criminal law development. Although the case law was decided fifteen years ago, the question of when you can run from police has resurfaced given the legal ramifications and double st...
If the current events from the last several months surrounding Eric Garner's choke death, Walter Scott's tasering and fatal shooting, the brutal beating of Fransis Pusok out in the San Diego Desert, and the hog tie, arrest, and death of Freddie Gray can teach us one lesson- it is that the need to...
Earlier this month, a study was released by the Seattle University School of Law that documents just how far the state of Washington has gone to criminalize homelessness. The study, entitled “Washington's War on the Visibly Poor: A Survey of Criminalizing Ordinances & Their Enforcement” analy...
No, this is not an episode of “Sons of Anarchy.” This month, nine bikers were killed and 18 hospitalized during a shootout at a Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco, Texas. An additional 170 bikers were taken into custody, and over 300 weapons were allegedly left behind. The news made national headlines...
