Washington

FTC sues Amazon, says it let kids make in-app purchases that ran up big bills for parents

The Federal Trade Commission sued Amazon on Thursday. The agency contends that the online retail giant violated the Federal Trade Commission Act by allowing children playing games such as Angry Birds and Ice Age Village to make in-app purchases that ran up a big bill for their parents, without their…

Jul 11, 2014 12:49 PM CDT

In first case of its kind, feds use RICO statute to pursue claimed Internet credit-theft ring

When federal anti-racketeering statutes were enacted, their intended targets were organized crime families largely based in the U.S. But today the Internet is where crime is rampant, and federal authorities are now using the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act as a weapon against claimed international criminal confederates working in…

Jul 9, 2014 10:25 PM CDT

Civil rights groups sue feds to get lawyers for juveniles in deportation hearings

Civil rights groups filed a lawsuit Wednesday in federal court in Seattle against Attorney General Eric Holder and other U.S. officials. They contend it is “fundamentally unfair” to require children facing deportation hearings to proceed without legal representation and are seeking a court order requiring the Department of Justice to…

Jul 9, 2014 4:40 PM CDT

Seattle city attorney is among the first in line at Cannabis City

Five marijuana stores opened in Washington state on Tuesday, including Cannabis City, where Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes was the fourth person in line. Holmes bought two two-gram bags of OG pearl, report Q13Fox, HeraldNet and the Seattle Times. “I’m keeping one bag for posterity,” he told Q13Fox, “and one…

Jul 9, 2014 12:05 PM CDT

Canines lend a paw to neighborhood watch programs throughout the country

Dog owners throughout the country are teaming up with their tiny Chihuahuas and imposing German shepherds to take a bite out of crime. Human caretakers out walking their dogs help keep a watchful eye out for suspicious activity in programs such as the Mulkiteo, Washington, police department’s new Paws on…

Jul 7, 2014 5:30 PM CDT

ABA and DOJ seek retroactive application of new federal drug-sentencing guidelines

The Department of Justice on Tuesday formally announced that it would support a plan to reduce sentences for drug offenders who have not been involved in violent crimes. The DOJ is backing those who have suggested applying retroactively new reduced sentencing guidelines for drug trafficking to those who are already…

Jun 10, 2014 9:28 PM CDT

Judge says ‘Top 40’ radio personality Casey Kasem must be fed, hydrated and medicated

In the latest twist in an ongoing family battle over medical care for a radio personality renowned for his “Top 40” programs and the voice work he did for Scooby-Doo cartoons, a California judge has ruled that Casey Kasem must be fed, hydrated and, at the discretion of his doctors,…

Jun 10, 2014 4:25 PM CDT

Daughter of hospitalized Casey Kasem, rather than his wife, will make medical decisions, judge rules

A Washington state judge sided Friday with children from famed “Top 40” radio personality Casey Kasem’s first marriage, ruling that Kasem’s daughter, Kerri, would have authority to determine his medical care rather than Kasem’s wife, Jean. Kasem, 82, who is suffering from a form of dementia, was hospitalized last week…

Jun 9, 2014 4:10 PM CDT

Shots fired into law firm wall; man is arrested

A suspect was arrested early Monday morning after shots were fired at a law office in downtown Spokane, Washington. Police said 31-year-old Shawn Denman fired a gun into a wall of the Morris & Morris law firm. Bullet holes can be seen there, but no injuries occurred, KREM reports. Denman…

Jun 9, 2014 2:30 PM CDT

Alleged rapist head-butts his lawyer in court

An accused rapist swore and head-butted his lawyer in court on Wednesday, according to a news report. Minutes into the court hearing, Anthony Hawkins told his lawyer to “Shut the [expletive] up,” according to the account by KOMO News. Hawkins then head-butted his lawyer twice before deputies restrained the defendant,…

Jun 5, 2014 4:37 PM CDT

Federal judge tosses challenge to NSA surveillance, with reluctance

A federal judge in Idaho has dismissed a lawsuit challenging collection of telephone data by the National Security Agency, but he suggested the U.S. Supreme Court should revisit the issue. Judge B. Lynn Winmill, chief judge of the U.S. District Court in Idaho, said in an opinion (PDF) issued on…

Jun 4, 2014 2:01 PM CDT

Seattle OKs $15 minimum wage plan

The Seattle City Council on Monday approved a plan to require employers to pay a $15 minimum wage to workers within the next three to seven years. “Today we have taken action that will serve as a model for the rest of the nation to follow,” said Mayor Ed Murray,…

Jun 3, 2014 4:25 PM CDT

Court OKs independent medical exam of ailing legendary DJ Casey Kasem

A Washington state judge on Friday partially upheld a California judge’s ruling that put a daughter of legendary “Top 40” disc jockey Casey Kasem in charge of his medical care as a temporary conservator. Kitsap County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Forbes allowed Kerri Kasem to visit her 82-year-old father for…

Jun 2, 2014 3:20 PM CDT

Seattle lawyer charged with raping massage parlor workers pleads guilty

Danford Grant, the Seattle lawyer facing multiple rape charges involving five women who worked in massage parlors, pleaded guilty Wednesday to five counts of third-degree rape, and one count of burglary. According to the Seattle Times, Grant faces a 25-year prison sentence. His trial was set to start Wednesday morning,…

May 7, 2014 6:28 PM CDT

Law students seek license for long-deceased would-be attorney

Seeking to right a 124-year-old wrong, a law student group and two law professors at the University of California-Davis have submitted a bar application on behalf of Hong Yeng Chang. In a well-known case, he was denied a law license in 1890 because he was Chinese, KCRA reports. An 1886…

May 5, 2014 10:55 PM CDT