In Washington state, individuals with a criminal record may be eligible for expungement. Expungement, also known as vacation of a criminal record, allows individuals to erase or seal their prior convictions. Seeking expungement can be a path toward a fresh start for...
Felonies
How to restore gun rights
Under the Second Amendment, every citizen in the United States has a right to carry a firearm. However, the law also restricts or removes this right under specific circumstances, including felony or domestic violence convictions. Every state requires a background...
The “Beauty Queen” Murder Case
The “Beauty Queen” Murder Case: I hate it when they call it that. It really has absolutely nothing to do with the case. But it sure sells “widgets”. It just goes to show you how hard it can be to get a fair trial when the media, especially the silly social media,...
State v. Jones: Bad Stop or Bad Laws?
The Police Stop: A Quandary Most of us do not want a police state where government officials or police can simply stop you and ask you for your “papers” for no reason. Yet there is also that righteous indignation about those who “get off” “scot-free” because of...
Do Crazy People “Get Away With Murder”?
We all know the way it works. Some crazy nut job goes out and whacks some innocent person for no apparent reason. Sure enough. Out come the legal guns to blast out defenses like Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity or Diminished Capacity. Next thing you know they walk out...
Another False Accusation Bites the Dust
Well, go figure. I really did not intend to focus so much on sex crimes right now, but things happen. Like the woman who has been defaming and falsely accusing one of my favorite young musician/songwriters, Conor Oberst (aka Bright Eyes), suddenly retracting her...
What if you are Accused of Committing a Sex Crime?
What if I am Accused of a Sex Crime? First of all, take the Fifth.* Remain silent and get a lawyer. Second, understand this: sex crimes are tough. Sex crimes are simultaneously the most heinous crimes to be accused of committing, the hardest crimes to disprove once...
Seattle – Assault in the First Degree
The Seattle Times recently reported on a Mount Vernon man charged with Assault in the First Degree in Mukilteo due to an incident at the Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival. The Seattle newspaper reported that the individual ran onto the stage with a knife and “attacked” a...