Mimi always says I manage to turn everything into stories about me, but this is hard not to. This is where I grew up. Well, not exactly. But my parents and older sisters lived in Fergusson right before I was born. I grew up hearing this sort of idealized fairy tale...
Art of Law
Part 2: Restore Your Fundamental Right to Keep and Bear Arms In Western Washington, Oak Harbor, Seattle
Restore your right to possess firearms in King County, Seattle, Oak Harbor, Island County, and Western Washington. The legislature has provided a procedure so those that have lost their right to possess (including convicted felons) can regain their right. The...
Part 1: Restore Your Fundamental Right to Keep and Bear Arms In Western Washington, Oak Harbor, Seattle
Washington state provides for a procedure to restore gun rights. Those who have lost their gun rights who live in Oak Harbor, Seattle, Western Washington, and on Whidbey Island can get their gun rights back. We are living in scary times. The government is slowly and...
Say That To My Face. Face to Face. That is the Law
Seattle, Oak Harbor, Whidbey Island Criminal Lawyer Discusses the Right to Confrontation. Crawford v. Washington: not just another Thurston County assault – it is now the essence of the Sixth Amendment. Two men (hereinafter co-conspirators “A” and “B”) allegedly...
Fourth Amendment via the Joint Venture Doctrine For Foreigners?
Prior to the incorporation of the Fourth Amendment into the Fourteenth Amendment, it was important to determine whether Federal officials substantially participated in raids conducted by State officials. This was because a “joint venture” would subject state actors to...
Roger Clemens and Perjury
In a piece in the New York Times, Michael S. Schmidt, explains how a baseball icon has been reduced to the status of a suspected felon. Once again, the culprit is Clemens’ failure to simply remain silent in the face of governmental intrusion into his life. Whether he...
Blagojevich and Remaining Silent in a Jury Trial
It is easy for criminal defense attorneys to tell clients that it is better not to testify during a jury trial. Convincing them to take your advice is another story. Just look at Blagojevich. It is human nature to want to explain your way out of trouble. As described...
Constitutional Rights are for Everyone, Including the Right to Shut Up
So, we finally get to the juicy bit. This shows the other side of the bad penny you toss every time you waive the Fifth Amendment and talk to the government, and forget your right to Shut Up. When you try to talk your way out of things, sometimes you make mistakes in...
The Fifth Amendment: The Ultimate Protection from Government
Last time we talked about the fundamental importance of the right to remain silent. Experienced criminal defense attorneys will all tell you that half of their clients wouldn’t be clients if they had only invoked their right to remain silent. When the police question...
The Right to Remain Silent: Use It or Lose It
What do public figures from Richard Nixon to Martha Stewart all have in common? They lied. But, they didn’t lie to just anybody. (I mean that wouldn’t really distinguish them from most other public figures now, would it?). No, they lied to government officials during...