When a person is convicted of a crime in Washington, in addition to any sentence or fines imposed following the conviction, the person may lose the right to possess a firearm. Thus, if the person is subsequently found to be in possession of a firearm he or she may be charged with unlawful possession of […]

The law affords individuals certain rights, including the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure. In other words, the police are not permitted to detain or search a person without a reasonable basis. Further, the State is precluded from introducing any evidence obtained during an unlawful stop against a defendant. If a conviction […]

In Washington, there are certain factors that can increase a person’s sentence if he or she is convicted of a crime. For example, firearm enhancements can increase the sentence for a felony conviction. A Washington appellate court recently discussed the sufficiency of evidence needed to support a firearm enhancement in a case in which the […]

Under Washington law, if a person is convicted of more than one crime, any sentences imposed typically run concurrently. Courts have the discretion to order sentences to run consecutively, however, and such orders will not be overturned absent an abuse of discretion. A Washington appellate court recently affirmed a court’s order for consecutive sentences following a […]

A Washington law known as the Sentencing Reform Act provides standard sentencing ranges that set forth what the legislature has deemed an appropriate sentence for a crime. A sentencing court is not always required to abide by the standard sentence, and in some cases may set forth an exceptional sentence, which is a sentence that […]

If you are charged with a crime, in part, due to a firearm found during a search without a warrant it is essential to determine whether the search constituted an unreasonable search and seizure and therefore, the evidence of the gun should be suppressed. A Washington court of appeals recently discussed the grounds for permitting a Terry […]

If you are charged with a crime, it is important to understand the penalties you may face if you are convicted. There is a range of penalties that may be imposed following a conviction, including restitution. Restitution can only be ordered in circumstances, however. A Washington Court of Appeals recently analyzed the grounds for ordering […]

It is common knowledge that criminal defendants are afforded the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. Each criminal charge has different elements that the state must prove in order to convict a defendant. If a defendant is convicted absent sufficient evidence, he or she may be able to have the conviction overturned. Recently, […]

Under Washington law, the police must have reasonable suspicion to justify a traffic stop. If you are stopped without a valid reason, and subsequently charged with a crime due to evidence produced during the stop, you have grounds to suppress the evidence at trial. If the evidence is nonetheless admitted and you are subsequently convicted, […]

While ending someone’s life is typically a brutal and traumatizing event, it is not always viewed as murder by the law. For example, in many cases, self-defense is a valid defense to a murder charge. In cases where one person accidentally kills another person, it may not be murder, but it could result in a […]