Beginning this month, the cost of a HOV (carpool lane) violation ticket has increased to $136. The WSP says that HOV violations are the number one citizen reported driving violation, with an average of 80 calls and emails each day. Since 2012 the number of HOV violations has increased by 77%. Through May of this…
Yesterday I won a Driving While License Suspended (DWLS) 2nd Degree trial because the Prosecution failed to provide it’s key driving record evidence to the defense before the trial started. That is a serious violation of the court rules and the rules of evidence. Yet people defending themselves without a lawyer, and even some defense lawyers sometimes,…
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+…
Attorney Paul Hanson is pleased to announce his recent selection as one of the Top 100 Criminal Defense lawyers in the State of Washington for 2015 by the American Society of Legal Advocates (ASLA). Only 1.5% of criminal defense lawyers are so honored each year. Congratulations Paul!
You really do have the right to remain silent if you are stopped by police in Lynnwood or even any other city in Washington State.. As cliché as this may sound, it really is 100% true. An arresting officer can ask you as many questions as they want but never feel compelled to answer anything.…
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…
In 2011 a law was passed requiring motorists to “move over”. When a driver in the right lane comes within 200 feet of an emergency vehicle (police, fire, aid, tow truck or DOT truck) they must move to the next lane, as long as it is safe to do so. If they are unable to…
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.…