Washington Case Commentaries

Medical Necessity Determination in Insurance Coverage: Strauss v. Premera Blue Cross

Date: Oct 4, 2019

Medical Necessity Determination in Insurance Coverage: Strauss v. Premera Blue Cross Introduction The case of John and Michelle Strauss vs. Premera Blue Cross addresses a pivotal issue in health...

Confrontation Clause and Testimonial Statements: Insights from State v. Scanlan

Date: Aug 2, 2019

Confrontation Clause and Testimonial Statements: Insights from State v. Scanlan Introduction State of Washington v. Theresa Gail Scanlan is a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of Washington that...

Admissibility of Domestic Violence No-Contact Orders in Felony Prosecution: State v. Taylor Analysis

Date: Jul 19, 2019

Admissibility of Domestic Violence No-Contact Orders in Felony Prosecutions: State of Washington v. Brendan Reidy Taylor Introduction In the case of State of Washington v. Brendan Reidy Taylor, the...

Harmless Error in Excluding U Visa Evidence Reinforces Convictions in State v. Romero-Ochoa

Date: May 17, 2019

Harmless Error in Excluding U Visa Evidence Reinforces Convictions in State v. Romero-Ochoa Introduction State of Washington v. Leonel Romero-Ochoa, 193 Wash. 2d 341 (2019), presents a compelling...

Right to Individualized Determination Under Procedural Due Process: Christal Fields v. State of Washington Dept. of Early Learning

Date: Feb 22, 2019

Right to Individualized Determination Under Procedural Due Process: Christal Fields v. State of Washington Department of Early Learning Introduction In the landmark case of Christal Fields v. State...

Residential-Based DOSA Not Permissible When Standard Sentence Midpoint Exceeds 24 Months: State v. Yancey

Date: Feb 15, 2019

Residential-Based DOSA Not Permissible When Standard Sentence Midpoint Exceeds 24 Months: State of Washington v. Yancey Introduction In the landmark decision of State of Washington v. James Austin...

Ordinary Duty of Care Affirmed for School Districts; Contributory Negligence Applicable

Date: Nov 2, 2018

Ordinary Duty of Care Affirmed for School Districts; Contributory Negligence Applicable Introduction In the landmark case of Heidi Jo Hendrickson v. Moses Lake School District, 428 P.3d 1197...

Reynolds v. Harmon: Clarifying the Applicability of the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act in Unlawful Detainer Actions

Date: Oct 26, 2018

Reynolds v. Harmon: Clarifying the Applicability of the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act in Unlawful Detainer Actions Introduction Case Citation: RANDY REYNOLDS & ASSOCIATES, INC. dba Reynolds Real...

Washington Supreme Court Declares State's Death Penalty Unconstitutional

Date: Oct 12, 2018

Washington Supreme Court Declares State's Death Penalty Unconstitutional Introduction In the landmark case State of Washington v. Allen Eugene Gregory, the Supreme Court of Washington rendered a...

Prohibition of Discretionary Legal Financial Obligations for Indigent Defendants Established in State v. Ramirez

Date: Sep 21, 2018

Prohibition of Discretionary Legal Financial Obligations for Indigent Defendants Established in State v. Ramirez Introduction State of Washington v. David Angel Ramirez (No. 95249-3, 2018) is a...

Clarifying the Boundaries of Community Custody Conditions in Sexual Offense Sentencing: Insights from State of Washington v. Nguyen and Norris

Date: Sep 14, 2018

Clarifying the Boundaries of Community Custody Conditions in Sexual Offense Sentencing: Insights from State of Washington v. Nguyen and Norris Introduction The Supreme Court of the State of...

Clarifying the Joinder Bar: Exclusive Use of Predicate Offenses under Washington's Criminal Profiteering Act

Date: Aug 17, 2018

Clarifying the Joinder Bar: Exclusive Use of Predicate Offenses under Washington's Criminal Profiteering Act Introduction In State of Washington v. Kenneth A. Linville, Jr. (423 P.3d 842), the...

Affirming the Limits of Vicarious Liability and Negligence in School Employment: Insights from Anderson v. Soap Lake School District

Date: Aug 10, 2018

Affirming the Limits of Vicarious Liability and Negligence in School Employment: Insights from Anderson v. Soap Lake School District Introduction In the seminal case of Anderson v. Soap Lake School...

Reversing Ejectment in Encroachment Cases: Garcia v. Henley Establishes Strict Burden of Proof

Date: Apr 20, 2018

Reversing Ejectment in Encroachment Cases: Garcia v. Henley Establishes Strict Burden of Proof Introduction In the landmark case of Garcia v. Henley, the Supreme Court of Washington addressed...

Reaffirmation of Strict Standards for Newly Discovered Evidence in Personal Restraint Petitions: In Re Pers. Restraint of Fero

Date: Feb 2, 2018

Reaffirmation of Strict Standards for Newly Discovered Evidence in Personal Restraint Petitions: In Re Pers. Restraint of Fero Introduction In the case of In Re the Personal Restraint of Heidi...

Washington Supreme Court Eliminates Replacement Element in Discrimination Claims and Clarifies Corrective Action Policy Implications

Date: Oct 20, 2017

Washington Supreme Court Eliminates Replacement Requirement in Discrimination Claims and Clarifies Corrective Action Policy Standards Introduction In Kim Mikkelsen v. Public Utility District No. 1 of...

Waiver of Corpus Delicti Challenge on Appeal Affirmed in Cardenas-Flores Case

Date: Aug 18, 2017

Waiver of Corpus Delicti Challenge on Appeal Affirmed in State of Washington v. Cardenas-Flores Introduction In State of Washington, Respondent, v. Zaida Yesenia Cardenas-Flores, 189 Wash. 2d 243...

STATE v. McFARLAND: Supreme Court of Washington Permits Exceptional Concurrent Sentencing for Firearm-Related Offenses

Date: Aug 4, 2017

STATE v. McFARLAND: Supreme Court of Washington Permits Exceptional Concurrent Sentencing for Firearm-Related Offenses Introduction In State of Washington v. Cecily Zorada McFarland, the Supreme...

Reinforcement of Individualized Suspicion in Terry Stops: State v. Weyand Establishes Strict Standards

Date: Jul 21, 2017

Reinforcement of Individualized Suspicion in Terry Stops: State v. Weyand Establishes Strict Standards Introduction In the landmark case of State of Washington v. Wesley James Weyand, the Supreme...

Affirmation of Washington's "Law of the Case" Doctrine in State v. Johnson

Date: Jul 14, 2017

Affirmation of Washington's "Law of the Case" Doctrine in Light of Musacchio v. United States: State v. Johnson Introduction The case of State of Washington v. John Henry Johnson, 188 Wash.2d 742...