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…

Washington and other states are looking into adopting a simple roadside saliva test for marijuana impairment. This saliva testing would attempt to determine a subject’s level of THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana that actually affects driving. The saliva test would be used to determine if the driver’s THC blood concentration was over the legal…

When our state created laws to set limits on marijuana use and driving, they based most of it on the current alcohol use and driving laws. One thing though that is not the same: Marijuana use IN a car. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission wants state lawmakers to fix that oversight when they reconvene this January.…