Washington Case Commentaries

Washington Supreme Court Affirms Public Records Act Applies to Employee-Owned Cell Phones Used in Official Capacity

Date: Aug 28, 2015

Washington Supreme Court Affirms Public Records Act Applies to Employee-Owned Cell Phones Used in Official Capacity Introduction In the landmark case of Glenda Nissen v. Pierce County, the Supreme...

Clarifying Beneficiary Declarations in Nonjudicial Foreclosures: Washington Supreme Court Sets Precedent

Date: Aug 21, 2015

Clarifying Beneficiary Declarations in Nonjudicial Foreclosures: Washington Supreme Court Sets Precedent Introduction The case of Rocio Trujillo v. Northwest Trustee Services, Inc., Wells Fargo Bank,...

Washington Supreme Court Establishes Age-Related Mitigation in Sentencing: STATE v. Sean Thompson O'Dell

Date: Aug 14, 2015

Washington Supreme Court Establishes Age-Related Mitigation in Sentencing: STATE v. Sean Thompson O'Dell Introduction In the landmark case STATE of Washington v. Sean Thompson O'Dell, the Supreme...

Manifest Constitutional Error and Harmlessness in Jury Instructions: State v. Kalebaugh Commentary

Date: Jul 10, 2015

Manifest Constitutional Error and Harmlessness in Jury Instructions: State of Washington v. Kalebaugh Introduction State of Washington v. Chadwick Leonard Kalebaugh is a significant case adjudicated...

Washington Supreme Court Rules Article I, Section 10 Does Not Require Ishikawa Analysis for Statutory Sealing of Juvenile Records

Date: Jun 12, 2015

Washington Supreme Court Rules Article I, Section 10 Does Not Require Ishikawa Analysis for Statutory Sealing of Juvenile Records Introduction In the landmark case of STATE of Washington v. S.J.C.,...

State v. Leroy A. Jones: Reinforcing Defense Counsel's Duty to Investigate Identified Witnesses

Date: Jun 12, 2015

State v. Leroy A. Jones: Reinforcing Defense Counsel's Duty to Investigate Identified Witnesses Introduction In the landmark case of State of Washington v. Leroy A. Jones, the Supreme Court of...

Reaffirming Individualized Reasonable Suspicion in Terry Stops: Insights from State v. Fuentes and State v. Sandoz

Date: May 8, 2015

Reaffirming Individualized Reasonable Suspicion in Terry Stops: Insights from State v. Fuentes and State v. Sandoz Introduction The State of Washington v. Marisa May Fuentes and State v. Stevene Paul...

Washington Supreme Court Establishes Strict Limitations on Investigating Officers' Role in Plea Agreements: State of Washington v. Ronald Wayne MacDonald

Date: Apr 10, 2015

Washington Supreme Court Establishes Strict Limitations on Investigating Officers' Role in Plea Agreements: State of Washington v. Ronald Wayne MacDonald Introduction In the landmark case of State of...

Washington Supreme Court Upholds Preponderance of Evidence Standard for Guardianship under RCW 13.36

Date: Feb 20, 2015

Washington Supreme Court Upholds Preponderance of Evidence Standard for Guardianship under RCW 13.36 Introduction In the landmark case State of Washington, Department of Social and Health Services v....

State v. Walker: Washington Supreme Court Sets Precedent on Prosecutorial Misconduct in Closing Arguments

Date: Jan 23, 2015

State v. Walker: Washington Supreme Court Sets Precedent on Prosecutorial Misconduct in Closing Arguments Introduction In the landmark case of State of Washington v. Odies Delandus Walker, the...

Prejudicial Misconduct in Accomplice Liability: Insights from State of Washington v. Darcus Dewayne Allen

Date: Jan 16, 2015

Prejudicial Misconduct in Accomplice Liability: Insights from State of Washington v. Darcus Dewayne Allen (182 Wash. 2d 364, Supreme Court of Washington, 2015) Introduction The case of State of...

Washington Supreme Court Affirms Entitlement to Lesser Included Offense Instructions Under Workman Test in Aggravated Premeditated Murder Cases

Date: Jan 9, 2015

Washington Supreme Court Affirms Entitlement to Lesser Included Offense Instructions Under Workman Test in Aggravated Premeditated Murder Cases Introduction In State of Washington v. Joel Cameron...

State v. Quaale: Limitations on HGN Testimony in DUI Prosecutions

Date: Dec 19, 2014

State v. Quaale: Limitations on HGN Testimony in DUI Prosecutions Introduction In the landmark case State of Washington v. Ryan Richard Quaale, the Supreme Court of Washington addressed the...

Durland v. San Juan County: Strict Adherence to LUPA's Exhaustion Requirements Affirmed

Date: Dec 12, 2014

Durland v. San Juan County: Strict Adherence to LUPA's Exhaustion Requirements Affirmed Introduction Durland v. San Juan County is a significant judgment delivered by the Supreme Court of Washington...

Admissibility of Prior Domestic Violence Acts: State v. Gunderson Establishes New Limitations

Date: Nov 21, 2014

Admissibility of Prior Domestic Violence Acts: State v. Gunderson Establishes New Limitations Introduction State v. Daniel Scott Gunderson is a pivotal case adjudicated by the Supreme Court of...

Reversing Precedent: Washington Supreme Court Establishes State Must Disprove Consent in Forcible Compulsion Rape Cases

Date: Oct 31, 2014

Reversing Precedent: Washington Supreme Court Establishes State Must Disprove Consent in Forcible Compulsion Rape Cases Introduction In the landmark case of State of Washington v. W.R., J.R., decided...

Expansion of Consumer Protection Claims in Nonjudicial Foreclosures: Lyons v. U.S. Bank

Date: Oct 31, 2014

Expansion of Consumer Protection Claims in Nonjudicial Foreclosures: Lyons v. U.S. Bank National Association Introduction Parties Involved: Appellant: Winnie Lyons, a single person. Defendants: U.S....

Sidebars and the Public Trial Right: Washington Supreme Court Establishes Boundaries

Date: Sep 26, 2014

Sidebars and the Public Trial Right: Washington Supreme Court Establishes Boundaries Introduction In State of Washington v. William Glen Smith (181 Wash.2d 508, 2014), the Supreme Court of Washington...

Washington Supreme Court Ruling: No Monetary Damages for DTA Violations Without Foreclosure Sale

Date: Sep 19, 2014

Washington Supreme Court Ruling: No Monetary Damages for DTA Violations Without Foreclosure Sale Introduction The case of Florence R. Frias v. Asset Foreclosure Services, Inc., et al. presented a...

Clarifying Pretext Standards in Age Discrimination Cases: Scrivener v. Clark College

Date: Sep 19, 2014

Clarifying Pretext Standards in Age Discrimination Cases: Scrivener v. Clark College 1. Introduction In Kathryn Scrivener v. Clark College, 181 Wash.2d 439 (2014), the Supreme Court of Washington...