The Smith & White Blog

If you’re stopped by police in Washington, you might assume they can’t search you without a warrant. But that’s not always true. Under certain circumstances, officers can legally frisk you—even if you haven’t done anything obviously wrong. What a Tacoma Gun Case Reveals A recent appellate decision, State v. Graham, shows just how quickly these […]

In Tacoma, WA assault cases, a broken bone can be enough to support a felony charge because a fracture usually qualifies as substantial bodily harm under state law. But that does not end the analysis. Prosecutors still must prove that the accused caused the injury, and that is often where the real fight happens. In […]

Most people dealing with a civil protection order are either trying to get protection quickly or trying to make sense of papers they did not expect. A civil protection order is a civil court order, not a criminal no-contact order. In Washington, civil protection orders are now handled under chapter 7.105 RCW, but local Pierce […]

In many Washington domestic violence assault cases, a judge will issue a criminal no-contact order very early in the case. But it is not automatic in the strict sense. It is still a court order, which means a judge decides whether to issue it and what the terms will be. For most people, the real […]

Practical Steps to Avoiding a DUI in Washington: What Actually Helps Most DUIs don’t start with a plan to break the law. They start with a night that runs long, a ride that falls through, and a decision made at the worst possible time. If you want to avoid a DUI in Washington, the goal […]

Some Washington crimes can be committed in more than one legally defined way. When a single statute describes one offense but lists multiple ways of committing it, lawyers often call it an “alternative means” crime. This matters because it affects how juries reach a verdict. It can also create appeal issues when the prosecution argues […]

If you have been served with court papers or told you cannot contact someone, the first question usually isn’t legal vocabulary. It’s practical: what does this order actually do, how long does it last, and what happens if you get it wrong? In Washington, protection orders and no-contact orders can look similar on paper, but […]

Violating your probation, even accidentally, can come with consequences in Washington. Our lawyers can help you prepare for what might happen at a probation violation hearing and avoid the worst possible consequence: having your suspended sentence revoked. If you violate the conditions of your probation in Washington, your probation officer may arrest you without a […]

Numerous laws and restrictions govern guns and firearms, and not just anyone may possess one. While you might legally have a gun, you may not always be able to loan that gun to someone else. While there are some exceptions, you generally cannot loan a weapon to others without following specific laws. When loaning a […]

Can a domestic violence court order–a criminal no contact or a civil protection order– prevent someone from legally possessing a firearm in Washington State? Courts across the country have recently been asked to answer this question as challenges to firearm restrictions under the Second Amendment continue to evolve. A recent Washington case, State v. Bell, […]