Obtaining a four-year degree is one of the more effective ways to succeed as a professional. Graduating from a college or university is also likely to increase your future earning potential. In fact, according to the Brookings Institute, the median lifetime income for...
Paving The Way To Justice
Criminal Law
What is the difference between with and without prejudice?
Some of the terminology used in a courtroom can be confusing if you do not have a legal background. When it comes to the dismissal of a case, the judge may do so with or without prejudice. The Legal Information Institute explains one of those situations is more...
The seriousness of white collar crime
White collar crime is common, and it refers to a wide variety of fraudulent crimes committed by individuals, government professionals and businesses. At any given time, the Federal Bureau of Investigations as well as numerous other law enforcement agencies are...
How the clemency process works
Clemency refers to the lowering or moderating of a jail or prison sentence. If a defendant has gone through the appeals process and does not have any other options, he or she may choose to pursue a clemency request from the Governor. The process of pursuing clemency...
Reviewing options for a criminal appeal
Once an individual faces a judge after the jury has returned a verdict in a criminal trial, the sentencing that occurs may seem especially harsh if they believe that the process or final outcome was unfair. Just because the trial is over does not have to mean the case...
Suspect faces felony drug charges related to fentanyl pills
Crime stories with unusual “twists” always seem to make the news in the Seattle area. It’s all part of keeping the audience’s attention, probably. However, one fundamental concept must stay at the heart of our understanding of these news reports: an arrest is not the...
First-time drug offenders will go to treatment, not jail
On the heels of a recent Washington Supreme Court declaring the state’s drug possession law unconstitutional, the state legislature has followed through with legislation intended to overhaul current possession laws. Passed last April, SB 5476 will send first-time drug...
The basics of the appeals process
The criminal appeals process is vital for anyone facing criminal charges to understand. It is a complex process of critical importance to anyone impacted by the criminal justice process making understanding the basics of appeals valuable. The basics of the appeals...
Relief may be available to victims of entrapment
Both federal investigators and law enforcement officers in Washington State rely on sting operations and other setups to catch people breaking the law. Many sting operations rely on Stings are about as old as standing police forces, and society justifies them as ways...
What is a collateral attack to challenge a conviction?
In Washington State, people who have been convicted of a criminal offense and are facing penalties because of it may want to think about their options to challenge the decision. This is not necessarily limited to appeals which are frequently based on some type of...