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…
This Washington Supreme Court ruling says Police don’t need a search warrant to make you blow - drivers have no constitutional right to refuse a breath test.
The Law Office of Chris Van Vechten would like to propose passing a law creating a new category of theft that constitutes an infraction and mandating that State and Municipal Prosecutors may charge select acts of theft as infractions instead of crimes.
Society is ready to forgive those who have struggled with addiction or anger problems, but theft is a biblical crime that is universally despised and carries with it life-long consequences in addition to serious stigmas.
Prosecutor vs Attorney: Prosecutors pressure attorneys not to investigate claims against their clients by offering plea deals. This is prosecutorial misconduct.
The Juvenile Justice System is a strange subspecies of the criminal justice system that – for a variety of reasons – only a fraction of defense attorneys venture to try their hand at. Being charged as a juvenile means that the short term consequences of a conviction (called an “adjudication” within juvenile court lingo) are significantly diminished in terms of incarceration.
The Law Office of Chris Van Vechten proved that a 15 year old defendant accused of bringing a gun to school was framed by a classmate, compelling the Mason County Deputy prosecutor to drop the charges.
Chris Van Vechten breaks down the Washington state adult sentencing guidelines and the Sentencing Reform Act.
In 2015, the Washington State Legislature expanded its open container law to encompass marijuana. House Bill 1276, which predominately concerned one of the Legislature’s favorite criminal subjects – DUI – nevertheless made it a traffic infraction for the registered owner of a motor vehicle, or the driver if the registered owner is not then present, or any passengers in the vehicle…
No contact order restrict physical/verbal contact with other. It can be issued as a condition of bail, bond, or recognition as release or sentence or probation.
