Freedom for the Innocent and Fairness for the Rest
When you need a defense attorney, you don’t just need any defense attorney. You need a defense attorney who knows how to win.
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Trial by Jury Must Survive the Pandemic
On March 20, 2020, the Supreme Court of the State of Washington suspended the right to trial by jury until after April 24, 2020. Their reasons for doing so...
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.
Indecent Exposure Laws: The Naked Truth
If you have been charged, expect to be charged, or are currently being investigated for anything resembling indecent exposure, it is important you retain a committed and aggressive attorney who understands the sensitivities of these sorts of crimes as soon as possible. Failing to do so risks undermining your case and being charged with even more serious offenses.
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.
150 “Not Guilty” Verdicts / Criminal Case Dismissed… and Counting
The Law Office of Chris Van Vechten is celebrating our 150th criminal case dimissed! We're proud of our record and we want to help you with your criminal case.
The Beginning of the End of the All White Jury?
The truth is, despite the wonderful step taken recently by our Supreme Court, the systemic removal of people of color from juries over many generations will likely continue to frustrate efforts to diversify the racial makeup of our juries. But what we might be witnessing today is the beginning of the end.