When a criminal offender in the state of Washington is sentenced to probation, the court sets forth the guidelines and conditions of the probation. The offender must follow the rules to the letter during the term of probation or suffer potentially harsh legal consequences for a violation. Exactly how does probation work in this state? [...]

When a defendant faces a criminal charge, it is the defendant's choice to take the case to trial or to enter a guilty plea, avoid a trial, and accept a conviction. An attorney can explain and protect a defendant's rights – and even negotiate a plea deal – but the defendant makes the final decision. [...]

Gun violence and gun crimes are a perennial challenge for law enforcement authorities. Virtually every conceivable approach has been tried. Some of the efforts to reduce gun violence have been moderately successful. Others have not. The City of Seattle is focusing on safe gun storage. This new and controversial gun storage statute took effect on [...]

You may recall that from 2004 through 2007, To Catch A Predator – a “reality cop show” – aired on NBC. Typically, an adult man was lured into meeting a minor for sex. Hidden cameras showed a reporter confronting the potential predator, who was then nabbed by the local police. Critics argued that the suspects [...]

The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution restricts the ability of police officers to conduct searches, seizures, and arrests. In fact, your constitutional rights are so fundamental that unless the police have a warrant or probable cause, they cannot search or arrest you. As Seattle drug crimes lawyers, we know that police officer’s feelings, hunches, [...]

We all engage in “profiling” every day. When we buy a car or purchase a home, seek a spouse, or even choose a restaurant, we are seeking specific qualities and traits and choosing to exclude other qualities and traits. As Seattle drug crimes lawyers, we know that the police engage in profiling as well. If [...]

The U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment guarantees the right to bear arms, but there is no constitutional right to carry firearms as concealed weapons. Here in the state of Washington, what does the law say about concealed weapons? The most important thing to know about firearms and concealed carry laws in this state is that if [...]

Domestic violence is a real and substantial problem in the United States, but the way that the criminal justice system handles domestic violence cases sometimes causes problems rather than resolving them. Some of the problems linked to domestic violence permeate divorce, separation, and custody proceedings as one spouse may use an allegation of domestic violence [...]

Drug abuse and drug addiction, including prescription drug abuse and driving under the influence of drugs, all continue to be major social and legal problems. That is one reason why the criminal justice system in this state is so harsh on drug crimes and imposes such stiff penalties on those offenders who sell and distribute [...]

What are the state of Washington’s laws regarding theft? How does theft differ from robbery or burglary in this state? Could you be wrongly accused of committing a theft in the Seattle area? What can a theft lawyer do to help you? Legally speaking in our state, robbery, burglary, and theft are three distinct and [...]