House Bill 2ESHB 1153, effective June 9, 2016 created a Certificate of Restoration of Opportunity (CROP) which certifies that a person convicted of a felony has been rehabilitated. It will open the door to obtaining Washington professional licensees required for jobs in teaching, financial services, and health care which are currently closed to those with…

Click here to go to my facebook page, and check out King 5’s Q&A with WSP Trooper Heather Axtman regarding traffic law. Trooper Axtman answers everything from school zone laws, to carpool violations to slow drivers in the fast lane (that is a $136 ticket FYI). Check out the video, then call Lynnwood / Shoreline Traffic Lawyer…

House Bill 2574 has been recently introduced in the 2016 Legislative session which would greatly restrict the current texting while driving offense. The proposed bill would bar any use of a mobile phone for data receipt or entry, even while stopped at stop signs or intersections. Only drivers  who pull completely off the roadway and…

In 2013 Washington State enacted a wrongful conviction statute. RCW 4.100 streamlines the procedures for those wrongfully convicted to obtain compensation. The statute offers such persons $50,000 per year of incarceration, plus additional benefits, such as a tuition waiver at state colleges for themselves and their minor children. Call Lynnwood / Shoreline criminal defense lawyer…

As of September 26th it is illegal to have an open container of Marijuana in your vehicle. Just as an open container of alcohol is. Marijuana must be in its original sealed package and stored in the trunk of your car or behind the backseat. This law also extends to pot-infused edibles, like cookies and candies. Driving…

The Washington State Department of Transportation has released an animated video to help understand the new tolling / HOV lanes on I-405 from Lynnwood to Bellevue. As noted in the video it is illegal to change lanes with a double solid line and you can be ticketed. You can only legally change lanes with a…

Washington State law has recently increased penalties for a BUI (Boating Under the Influence). A BUI is now a Gross Misdemeanor, and if you are convicted you can face up to $5,000 in fines and up to one year in jail. Boat operators are held to the same standards as a motorist and can be…

On Friday, June 5, 2015 I helped the local court present its annual Law Day presentation for over 800 fifth graders of the Edmonds School District. This was my 29th year doing this. It is a lot of work, but a labor of love. It has grown from 60 kids in 1987 to over 800+…

Motorcyclists are pushing House Bill 1515, which would allow “lane splitting”. That would mean a motorcycle could drive in between cars when traffic was congested. The proposed law says that traffic as a whole must be going no more than 35 miles per hour and the motorcycle could only go 10 mph over that. The…

Recreational Marijuana stores opened last summer all around Washington State. Please remember that while it is legal to purchase and smoke, it is still illegal to drive while intoxicated. THC levels at greater than or equal to 5 nanograms per milliliter of blood is considered intoxicated and will result in a DUI charge. Here is a…