Washington

Meet Eric Lindell, Solo Who Takes Tough Cases and Hates to Lose

Eric Lindell was never a particularly good student, although he excelled in basketball and track in high school. In law school, only the opportunity to try cases as an intern for the local prosecutor captured his interest. But as a solo Washington state criminal defense lawyer, taking the cases nobody…

Apr 18, 2011 8:29 PM CDT

Lawyer Convicted of Felony Theft re 900 Free Phone Calls Made by Gang Members from Jail

A Washington state criminal defense attorney is facing likely law license repercussions after being convicted yesterday in a bench trial of felony theft for allowing two jailed gang members who had been dating her housemate to make over 900 free phone calls from the Yakima County jail. Kimberly Grijalva, 41,…

Apr 12, 2011 11:47 AM CDT

Hundreds of Wash. Convictions to Be Reversed, Due to Questioning of Prospective Jurors in Chambers

Already busy with existing cases, prosecutors and defense lawyers in Washington state are facing increased workloads due to a deluge of felony convictions, including in rape and murder cases, being reversed because of faulty jury selection practices. At least 17 convictions in Whatcom County have been reversed after prospective jurors…

Apr 11, 2011 11:56 AM CDT

6 Partners Exit K&L Gates to Form Pacifica Law Group

Six partners in the Seattle office of K&L Gates have exited the firm in order to form their own new shop. Pacifica Law Group, which includes a number of lawyers with expertise as bond counsel, will focus on private and public sector clients in the Pacific Northwest, reports the Puget…

Apr 5, 2011 6:24 PM CDT

Jury Finds Denny’s Liable for $46M in Restaurant Shooting

A Seattle jury has awarded more than $46 million to a Bible college graduate who was left a paraplegic after a shooting at a Denny’s in Kent, Wash., that had attracted rowdy bar customers with a history of fighting. Denny’s will not appeal as part of an agreement with plaintiff…

Feb 8, 2011 3:33 PM CST

Coffee Shop Owner Guilty of Indecent Exposure Due to Skimpy See-Through Shorts on ‘Bikini Barista’

Up against well-known national names in the caffeine trade, local coffee shops in Washington state have tried creative marketing approaches to distinguish themselves. Among the techniques adopted by some are so-called bikini baristas. One shop in Yakima even featured pole dancing, the city’s mayor, Micah Cawley, tells Reuters. But Yakima…

Feb 7, 2011 6:34 PM CST

Wash. High Court Refuses Prosecutors’ Motion to Toss Defeated Justice from Cases

The Washington Supreme Court has rejected a request by prosecutors who said defeated Justice Richard Sanders should not have received a temporary appointment to wrap up work on cases heard while he was on the court. Prosecutors from five counties had argued that the Constitution only allows sitting or retired…

Feb 7, 2011 11:30 AM CST

6 Brothers Allegedly Left in Abusive Home for 8 Years Despite 33 Complaints Get $6.55M

Despite 33 complaints, it took eight years for child protection authorities in Washington state to remove six brothers from a family home in which their lawyer says they were starved, locked in closets and physically abused. Now the state has agreed to settle for $6.55 million the case they filed…

Feb 2, 2011 5:13 PM CST

Top Wash. Court Says Lawyer Billing Records May Be Public in Murder Case, Awards Fees

A Washington newspaper has won a round in a costly court battle to force Yakima County officials and/or a local state court to make public the billing records for court-appointed counsel in a now-concluded capital murder case. However, the battle isn’t yet over. The Washington Supreme Court has remanded much…

Jan 13, 2011 10:34 PM CST

Ex-Corrections Officers’ Confab re Defendant’s Record Requires Jury Selection Do-Over

A Washington state court will be trying again with a new jury pool on Monday, after an initial effort to select a panel to hear a first-degree murder trial was tainted by a conversation today between two former Department of Corrections officers. As some other prospective jurors overheard, the two…

Jan 6, 2011 5:56 PM CST

K&L Gates Sues U of Wash. Prof, Says He Threatened Partner Over His Wife’s Divorce

A prominent professor at the University of Washington has been sued by K&L Gates for allegedly threatening a female partner who represented his wife in a divorce case. After partner Mabry DeBuys received four anonymous “highly intimidating, outrageous, depraved and vicious” e-mails in a 24-hour period in July 2009, the…

Jan 5, 2011 7:50 PM CST

Citizen Superhero Crime-Fighter Changes Into Costume in Secret Comic Store Room

When a man who wishes to be known only as “Dan” returned to his parked car in a Seattle suburb one recent night, he caught a would-be thief in the act of trying to break in. But as Dan was dialing 911 for help, a masked man in a skintight…

Jan 5, 2011 6:27 PM CST

DA Can Prosecute Rape Case Against County Sheriff’s Deputy, Visiting Judge Rules

All eight superior court judges in Yakima County, Wash., have removed themselves from hearing a rape case against a sheriff’s deputy. However, the district attorney can prosecute the case if he wishes to, a visiting judge ruled yesterday, reports the Yakima Herald-Republic. Rejecting a defense argument that DA Jim Hagarty…

Dec 29, 2010 11:52 AM CST

Seahawks Fan Sues Shaun Ellis of Jets Over Stadium Snowball Toss

A Seattle Seahawks fan and season ticket holder has sued Shaun Ellis of the Jets, alleging physical injury, humiliation, mental distress, pain and wage loss as a result of allegedly being hit with a large snowball on his home team’s turf. A YouTube video linked to the TMZ report of…

Dec 20, 2010 5:48 PM CST

Law Firm’s Satirical Holiday Card Backfires; Critics Claim Racial Stereotyping

A law firm’s annual satirical newsletter takes aim at Washington Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders for his recent controversial remarks about blacks. But its fake article, entitled “Sanders to Reach Out to Black Community With KFC Restaurant,” apparently missed the mark. Morgan Hill, a law firm in Olympia, Wash., is…

Dec 15, 2010 12:59 PM CST