I often get questions about collaborating with participatory defense groups in my court cases, such as the Maddesyn George case in federal court or the Leah Eggleson case in Tacoma. While ma… Read More

This summer, the Spokane Police Department purchased a Dragonfish drone made by Autel. The city council minutes announced the purchase, with the price set at $164,000. Although Spokane polic… Read More

The use of automated license plate readers started off quietly in the United States. In the 1990s car washes and pay parking lots would discreetly use the automated readers to keep trac… Read More

I wrote a little bit on my website last week about possible first amendment questions that could be raised with the Stay-at-Home order that we have here in Washington state. I have been figh… Read More

Newsreaders today learned of the problem of Matt Colvin of Tennessee. When hand sanitizer started to run out on March 1st, he drove across Tennessee and Alabama clearing out any remaining l… Read More

It has been over 90 years since there has been a mass quarantine in this country. Are we on the brink of one now? That remains to be seen, but I can tell you a little bit about how quar… Read More

It is hard to believe that it has been almost ten years since I first wrote about the supposed phenomenon of “green tongue” from marijuana smoking. Back in 2010, I explained how… Read More

Every county prosecutor has his or her way of handling low level drug offenses. By low level offenses, I am referring to, for example, cases where the police find a baggy with a little… Read More

When a student is facing a possible university expulsion for an allegation of rape or sexual assault, that is pretty serious, and a student is entitled to certain procedural rights. I wrote… Read More

When people say “expungement” in the legal system, they are usually talking about getting a criminal conviction removed from a person’s record. But there is another type of… Read More

Two weeks ago, a Superior Court ruled against WSU in the case of Robert Barber, who I represented.  This morning, the Court of Appeals in Spokane ruled in favor of former WSU student Ab… Read More

The number of Chinese students attending universities in the U.S. has tripled in the last ten years. Along with the increase in the number of students, there have been an increase in the num… Read More

An an attorney who defends academic integrity disciplinary actions at state universities, I am often ask to give an opinion on charges brought against students for cheating based on similari… Read More

The Omak-Chronicle reported today the death of Emma-Paulsen, the elected Ferry County Prosecuting Attorney. I think I first met Emma Paulsen around 2005 when I first started taking cases in… Read More

“Gate-keeping function.” That is what you call the judge’s role in deciding whether to allow an expert witness to testify. The judge is supposed to screen experts to m… Read More

Spokane just announced yesterday that 1/2 of the patrol officers will have to wear a body camera as part of a 6-month pilot project. 5 years ago I wrote a blog post asking if people could re… Read More

The City of Spokane posted new signs warning of the impoundment of cars and trucks if people are arrested for patronizing a prostitute. Spokane has erected signs that may turn out to be cont… Read More

The city council for Spokane voted this month to allow the police to tow and impound the vehicles of individuals arrested for solicitation of prostitutes in Spokane city limits. The Spokane… Read More

Today is the big day in Washington State. Twenty-two state-licensed marijuana stores will open, including two in Bellingham, Washington. But before traveling south, there are important thing… Read More

Generally, misdemeanor crimes committed solely within the borders of a State are governed by the State’s criminal code and resolved by the State’s court system. However, when mis… Read More

We have all seen the ads online? But is it legal to buy drugs from these online pharmacies? Let’s hear from my lawyer friend Rand Mintzer. The medicine sold by online pharmacies is oft… Read More

Although their popularity has waned somewhat in recent years, brass knuckles remain a recognizable weapon that occupies a prominent place in the American cultural canon. These implements hav… Read More

Action, intrigue, and romance are the only words to describe The Spark, a novel by John Kenny. As a firefighter for 25 years, Kenny uses his expertise to create an exciting look into the lif… Read More