New Firearm Rights Restoration Law in Washington

It’s Now More Difficult to Restore Gun Rights The Washington legislature passed a whole new law regarding firearm rights and possession, including a new standard for restoring gun rights in Washington State. The new restoration law still allows firearm restoration for those convicted of felonies and domestic violence misdemeanors, but the law makes it more … Read more

DUI Breath Tests Excluded in Kitsap County

District Court judges in Kitsap County recently ruled that all Washington breath tests are unreliable and excludes them from DUI cases. The breath test machine does not comply with Washington law and all test results are invalid. This ruling applied to Kitsap District Court cases currently, but it’s only the beginning for the rest of … Read more

Oregon Updated Criminal Expungement Law

Oregon’s new expungement law went into effect today. It was a much needed change to the previous law that was overly complicated and limited who could erase their record. Under the new law, a person with a criminal record has can ask the court to expunge their criminal history if they have completed the conditions … Read more

New DUI Laws in 2022

On January 1, 2022, the State of Washington will enact new laws related to DUI sentencing. These laws give the judge more flexibility when sentencing on DUIs with the mandatory minimum laws in Washington. First Offense – House Arrest Option The court will now be able to order house arrest or the 24/7 sobriety program … Read more

Washington Supreme Court Invalidates Possession of Controlled Substance Convictions

Drug Possession Convictions are Invalid In a landmark opinion, the Washington Supreme Court in State v. Blake ruled that the law prohibiting possession of controlled substances in unconstitutional and those convicted may be eligible to have their conviction invalidated. The reasoning behind the opinion is that the law did not require the state to prove … Read more

Clark County Blood Draw Pilot Program

Clark County Sheriffs Begin Drawing Blood in DUI Investigations KATU News interviewed me for their story on Clark County’s new blood draw DUI program. When someone is arrested for DUI, Washington law enforcement has the option of drawing and testing the suspect’s blood to determine whether there are drugs or alcohol present. This typically happens … Read more

Assault 4 DV Is Now A Felony

Assault 4 DV Is Now a Felony Crime   Assault 4 DV is a common charge brought by prosecutors in Washington.  It is the lowest level domestic violence assault and often minor altercations can lead to an arrest for this charge.  As of July 2017, this same charge can be filed as a felony.  RCW … Read more