A car trip involving two sisters led to a physical fight and police involvement. The subsequent assault trial of one of the sisters led to a nearly-one-year jail sentence and an appeal to the Washington Court of Appeals. That decision, handed down in February of this year, offers some useful knowledge about when a criminal […]

You are being charged with or even been already convicted of a DUI. You probably are already aware of the official penalties – jail time, fines, license suspension, and other potential penalties. But what you may not be aware is that there are also unofficial penalties. These are the penalties that a DUI causes but […]

When someone is studying DUI laws in Washington there is a term that will come up and that is “escalating penalties”. What is usually also being discussed is whether the escalating penalties have been effective in curbing repeat offenses or DUI related fatalities. The phrase is actually used and discussed within two contexts so it […]

To all parents the most important part of our lives is our children and their wellbeing. You go crazy with worry and possibly even ballistic if anything or anyone threatens them. But parents are just people like everybody else and people make mistakes. It causes extreme guilt but sometimes it is the parent that inadvertently […]

What Happens If Police Don’t Read You Your Miranda Rights in Tacoma, WA? Being arrested is one of the most stressful experiences a person can face. Whether it’s your first encounter with the criminal justice system or not, the uncertainty of what comes next can be overwhelming. One of the most common questions we hear […]

You are facing robbery charges. You are understandably upset and worried about what that may mean to your future – both immediate and long term. Your family may be upset with you. You are upset with yourself for getting into this situation. You may feel all alone. You do not need to be and, in […]

A recent decision by the Washington Court of Appeals, which upheld a man’s conviction for assault, offers some useful insight on two separate aspects of criminal trials. In deciding to uphold the trial court’s decision, the appeals court ruled against the accused man because it determined that the way the state made challenges to certain […]

Are you facing a weapons charge? In Washington there are many possible weapons charges and they are all taken seriously. They can stand by themselves, such as illegal possession of a firearm, or they can be in conjunction with another criminal charge, as is the case with armed robbery. You’re understandably concerned what this will […]

It might seem like a no-brainer to say but if you are facing criminal charges you will want to seriously consider any and all advice given to you by your defense attorney. Of course if something doesn’t make sense you will want to ask questions but deliberate over the answer given. Remember that there are […]

Have you missed a court date? And you are now worrying how that’s going to affect you? Or have you already been charged with bail jumping or failure to appear? In Washington this is taken very seriously and does have some harsh penalties. Things do come up in life. We know that. You may very […]