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
Deferred Prosecution is a program available to those charged with misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor crimes in Washington. RCW Chapter 10.05 lays out the framework for the program. The program allows a defendant to avoid a conviction and its penalties by entering into and successfully completing the program. The defendant has to state under oath that … Read more
Immigration Arrests and Criminal Records Since the new administration has increased the enforcement of immigration laws, it is more important than ever to up your criminal record if you are not a U.S. Citizen. Washington law allows you to clean up your criminal record by vacating your criminal history. Vacating a conviction withdraws your guilty plea … Read more
New DUI Laws for 2016 The Washington State Legislature has passed two new bills that further increase penalties for DUIs. Over the past few years Washington has created more aggressive laws to punish DUI offenders than virtually any other state, these two laws will further that trend. The first bill increases the classification of a … Read more
Judge Acquits Client on Rape Charge My client, Tremaine Rambo, won a huge victory today when the court acquitted him on the charge of Attempted Rape in the Second Degree. Tremaine was charged with the offense after he attacked a woman of Burnt Bridge Creek Trail, in Vancouver, Washington, in late April of this … Read more
Supreme Court Rules That Police Must Get a Warrant Prior to Searching Cell Phone The United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled on June 25, 2014 that, pursuant to the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, police must obtain a warrant to search a suspect’s cell phone. Chief Justice John Robert authored the opinion that shot … Read more
DUI License Suspensions Across State Lines If you are a resident of Washington and get a DUI in Oregon you may have difficulty driving if your license is suspended as a result of a conviction or DMV suspension. A common example is a first time DUI in Oregon. If you qualify for diversion, you … Read more
New Domestic Violence Gun Law Goes into Effect On June 12, 2014, Washington enacted a new firearms restriction that was passed on March 28. Governor Jay Inslee signed into law House Bill 1840 or The Domestic Violence Gun Law Bill, which allows a judge to require a person to surrender their firearms if that … Read more
Clark County No Longer Honoring ICE Holds Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal agency in charge of adjudicating immigration violations. When an individual is arrested and there is an issue with their immigration status, ICE has traditionally issued what had been referred to as an “ICE Hold” or “ICE Warrant.” In Vancouver, Washington, … Read more
Marijuana DUI Statistics After the passage of the marijuana initiative in Washington last year, there has been a record number of marijuana DUI arrests. Statistics released by the Washington State Patrol show that in the first 6 months of the new law 745 drivers that were pulled over for suspicion of DUI tested positive for … Read more