An arrest and subsequent interrogation by police typically begins an accused’s exposure to the criminal justice system. Both acts, on the surface, appear relatively straight forward. For example: An arrest is the taking of a person into custody; and, An interrogation is when the police ask a suspect questions. While this is all true, both [...]
Prosecutors in the State of Washington can charge persons with a variety of different firearm crimes. Two of the most common include: Unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree; and, Unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree. Both offenses are found under RCW 9.41.040. These charges are sometimes to referred to [...]
There are two general categories of crimes under Washington Law. These are felonies and misdemeanors. Felonies are by far the more severe of the two categories. They are also categorized into three classes – A, B and C. While Washington misdemeanor cases are heard in District and Municipal Courts, felony cases are heard in Superior [...]
There are two general categories of crimes under Washington Law. These are misdemeanors and felonies. Misdemeanors are the less severe of the two offenses. Further, they come in two types – simple misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors. While Washington felony cases are heard in Superior Court, misdemeanor cases are heard in Washington’s District and Municipal Courts. [...]
Crimes can take the shape of state crimes or federal crimes. If an offense is a state crime, then it’s charged in state court at the state level. If an offense is a federal crime, then it’s charged in federal court at the federal level. Examples of federal crimes include: Certain drug offenses, Fraud, and [...]
Persons accused of a crime can always challenge the accusation by raising a legal defense. A legal defense basically says a defendant is not guilty because of some reason. The main ways to defend charges are to seek suppression of evidence, to show that the prosecution cannot establish an element of the charge, or to [...]
The Fourth Amendment has been under attack during the last few decades, as the Supreme Court of the United States has sanctioned exception after exception to the warrant requirement. In United States v. Leon, the Supreme Court created the “good faith” exception to the Fourth Amendment’s warrant requirement. Under the good faith exception, evidence seized [...]
