Under Washington law, in order to convict a person of an assault offense, the prosecution has to prove each element of the crime. This does not necessarily mean that they must prove the defendant’s mental status at the time the crime was committed, however, as many...
In Washington, a defendant can be convicted of DUI crimes based on circumstantial evidence, such as the result of field sobriety testing, or direct evidence, such as a BAC level. Regardless of the character of the evidence presented, the prosecution must provide...
The Sixth Amendment to the Constitution guarantees "the right to a speedy and public trial." This is to keep defendants from languishing in jail or legal limbo for longer than necessary before they have been convicted of any illegal activity. At the same time, if the...
El derecho de poseer y llevar armas de fuego – por diversión y por defensa personal – es uno de los derechos fundamentales para los ciudadanos y residentes permanentes en este país. Sin embargo, no es un derecho permanente, y es posible perderlo bajo ciertas...
“..there are men who regret that we cannot hear our Handel exactly as Handel meant us to because, unfortunately, we no longer castrate boy singers” ― Eric J. Hobsbawm, The Jazz Scene Castration is always a fun subject. I remember being horrified in law...
In the field of healthcare, personalized medicine is revolutionizing treatment approaches by tailoring medical interventions to an individual’s genetic makeup. Pharmacogenetics, a key component of personalized medicine, focuses on how genetic variations influence an...
The Washington courts staunchly prosecute crimes involving domestic violence, including violations of domestic violence no contact orders. Thus, if a person found guilty of violating such an order has prior domestic violence convictions, it may result in an increased...
In order to convict a person for a Tacoma Driving Under the Influence (DUI), the prosecution must demonstrate that the person operated a vehicle with a blood alcohol level over the legal limit or while under the influence of an intoxicant. To do so, the prosecution...
In Tacoma, Washington assault cases, defendants do not have to offer a defense or otherwise establish that they did not commit the charged offense. In many instances, though, a defendant will argue that the actions out of which their charges arose were taken in...
In Washington criminal matters, the State bears the burden of showing, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendant committed the charged offense. The State can rely on direct and circumstantial evidence to prove its case. Generally, any evidence that is relevant is...