When someone is arrested by a King County law enforcement officer who does not have an arrest warrant, that person has probably committed a crime that the officer observed directly. Most arrests for driving under the influence, for example, are made without arrest warrants. In many cases, however, if no officer observes a crime being [...]

The words we use when we speak about crimes are important, and especially when we speak about sex crimes. Everyone understands, for example, what the word "rape" means, but what exactly does the term "sexual assault" mean? The phrase actually has different legal definitions in different states. Similarly, everyone knows what it means to "solicit" [...]

Substance abuse is still a major legal and societal problem in the United States. With the emergence of drugs like crack cocaine and Oxycontin over the last several decades, everyone now should know that drug abuse can be devastating. Lawmakers have expanded the drug possession and trafficking laws, which are now quite complicated. Drug crimes [...]

In the state of Washington, the criminal court system provides two ways that crime victims can obtain reimbursement for the damages they've suffered as the result of a crime. Victims may be reimbursed through the state's crime victim compensation statutes or by a judge's order to a convicted offender to pay restitution. Precisely what is [...]

Lawyers and lawmakers use different terms to describe different levels of criminality or criminal culpability. A person who is involved in a crime might be considered a principal, an accomplice, an accessory before or after the fact, an aider, an abettor, or a conspirator. It hinges on in what way and to what extent the [...]

"Fake news" is getting plenty of attention these days. There's a lot of it circulating out there, and in California, even the police are spreading some of it. Political groups blame opposing factions for creating fake news, distributing it through both mainstream and social media, and seeking to influence or change the votes and opinions [...]

As drug crimes lawyers, we know that if you’re driving in Oklahoma, you do not want to get pulled over by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Sixteen OHP troopers now carry a device that allows them to seize money from any prepaid cards that drivers may be carrying. The device is called an “ERAD,” or an [...]

Anyone can be charged – even by mistake – with a crime. If you are arrested and charged with a misdemeanor or a felony in the state of Washington, whether you are innocent or guilty as charged, it is important to know as much as possible about the criminal justice process and about what happens [...]

Recreational marijuana has been legal – and strictly regulated – in the state of Washington since January 2013. Although legalization was celebrated by many, it has also created a number of new legal issues that will have to be resolved by the lawmakers and the courts. The legality of marijuana cultivation is one of those [...]