Many clients believe that if a past criminal charge was reduced to a lesser offense, dismissed after a deferred prosecution, occurred as a juvenile, or otherwise resolved without a conviction, it no longer exists for future legal purposes. Unfortunately, that…
Update From The District Court Bench (abbreviated/edited by Witt Law Group) Probation Assessments Starting Tuesday, February 18, 2025, the following probation assessments will be imposed by the Court when a case is referred for Probation Services. Pretrial Diversion Agreements $150…
Prosecutors use a number of factors to decide whether a reported crime should be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony. Generally, it is the severity of crime and whether the facts as reported by law enforcement most closely meet…
Washington State defines Assault in the Fourth Degree broadly under its criminal statutes. While many people think of assault as requiring physical contact, Washington law does not make physical touching a mandatory element of the offense. Instead, the state considers…
Miranda warnings were established by the U.S. Supreme Court in Miranda v. Arizona (1966) and are designed to inform individuals of their constitutional rights before they are interrogated while in police custody. The goal of Miranda warnings is to protect…
Posting bail allows a defendant to be released from custody while awaiting court proceedings. In most cases, posting bail prior to Arraignment can put the defendant in a better position from the outset of the case. However, where the person…
Pretrial and Omnibus hearings are both procedural steps in the criminal justice system, but they serve different purposes and occur at different stages in the process. Generally speaking, you will only hear the term Omnibus in Superior Court for a…
Port Orchard Municipal Court and Kitsap County District Court differ primarily in jurisdiction but they hear similar types of cases and process criminal charges in a similar way. Here’s a breakdown of the key differences between these two courts: Jurisdiction Port Orchard Municipal Court…
Where Will I Be Held? If you are arrested within the City of Olympia, you will be transported outside of the city for jail. Olympia no longer has its own corrections facility. If you are arrested for a misdemeanor, you…
When a person is charged with a crime, there are several aspects to the case that a criminal defense attorney must evaluate critically. Two important factors include whether (1) the proper procedures were followed from investigation and prior to arrest…
