Warrantless Seizures and Race
The Washington State Supreme Court recently declared that whether or not a person has been seized by a police officer may depend on what race the defendant happens to be.
Chris Van Vechten
Is Washington’s Unlawful Possession of a Firearm Statute Constitutional?
Washington's unlawful possession of a firearm statutes are unconstitutional as they constitute a due process violation. Defense attorneys representing those accused of unlawful possession of a firearm should move to dismiss the charges and - if nothing else - preserve the issue for appeal.
Law Office of Chris Van Vechten Criminal Defense Hand Soaps: Designed for a clean getaway!
The CDC recommends thorough and regular hand washing as the primary step individuals can take to protect themselves and their families from the spread of airborne diseases like COVID-19.
This drug test can’t tell the difference between menstrual cramp medication and crack cocaine. Police use it to determine probable cause anyway.
Police use inaccurate and confusing narcotics identification tests to determine probable cause. We win criminal defense cases for our clients when they do.
The Family and Offender Sentencing Alternative: Our Most Under-Utilized Tool in the War on Crime
The Parenting Sentencing Alternative allows some nonviolent offenders the opportunity to avoid prison, or get out of prison, in order to parent their children.
Now It’s Easier to Vacate a Conviction (including immigration convictions)
The law has changed following passage of House Bill 1041, sponsored by Representative Drew Hansen, so that more people can apply to have their criminal records vacated and expunged than ever before.
Pierce County’s High Priority Offender Scam
In 2016, the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office launched a new division called the High Priority Offender Unit (HPO for short). The idea was that prosecutors would use data from a defendant’s prior criminal history to assess whether this defendant is – compared to other criminal defendants – disproportionately committing crimes. By 2017 the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office claimed to have sent more than 650 HPOs to prison, which – they claim –dramatically reduced crime in the community. All of these claims range from suspicious to flat out untrue.
Four Rules to Remember When Fighting the DOL (Department of Licensing)
Four Rules to Remember When Fighting the Washington State Department of Licensing
Halloween Special on Wills, POAs and other Estate Planning Devices
One of the great failures of the criminal justice system was the Sentence Reform Act, a piece of legislation designed to promote consistency and fairness in the criminal justice system by restraining the power of judges without taking any steps to restrain prosecutors and police.
Defining Bail Jumping
There are many things involved in the criminal justice system that seem to be purposely designed to prevent the defendant from asserting their right to trial. Bail jumping is one of them, because it gives the State the opportunity to charge the Defendant with an additional crime simply by virtue of missing a court date.