Washington Case Commentaries

Expanding the Definition of 'Distressed Property' Under RCW 61.34: Implications of Jametsky v. Olsen

Date: Feb 7, 2014

Expanding the Definition of 'Distressed Property' Under RCW 61.34: Implications of Jametsky v. Olsen Introduction Jametsky v. Olsen, 317 P.3d 1003 (Wash. 2014), is a landmark case in Washington State...

De Novo Review Established for Privacy Act Suppression Motions in State v. Kipp

Date: Feb 7, 2014

De Novo Review Established for Privacy Act Suppression Motions in State v. Kipp Introduction State of Washington v. William John KIPP, Jr. is a landmark case adjudicated by the Supreme Court of...

Affirmation of Trial Judgment in Jones v. City of Seattle: Implications for Witness Disclosure and Harmless Error

Date: Feb 6, 2014

Affirmation of Trial Judgment in Jones v. City of Seattle: Implications for Witness Disclosure and Harmless Error Introduction The case of Margie (Meg) Jones, as Guardian of Mark Jones, v. City of...

Requirement of Demonstrating Actual and Substantial Prejudice in Personal Restraint Petitions for Guilty Plea Misstatements

Date: Jan 24, 2014

Requirement of Demonstrating Actual and Substantial Prejudice in Personal Restraint Petitions for Guilty Plea Misstatements Introduction In In re Personal Restraint Petition of Daniel J. Stockwell...

Defense Counsel's Continuance Requests and the Right to a Speedy Trial: STATE v. OLLIVIER

Date: Nov 1, 2013

Defense Counsel's Continuance Requests and the Right to a Speedy Trial: STATE v. OLLIVIER Introduction State of Washington v. Brandon Gene Ollivier is a significant case adjudicated by the Supreme...

Washington Supreme Court Establishes Municipal Duty of Care in Serving Antiharassment Orders

Date: Oct 18, 2013

Washington Supreme Court Establishes Municipal Duty of Care in Serving Antiharassment Orders Introduction The case of Carola Washburn and Janet Loh v. City of Federal Way addresses the tort liability...

Facilitating Testimony: The Role of Comfort Animals in Courtrooms

Date: Sep 27, 2013

Facilitating Testimony: The Role of Comfort Animals in Courtrooms Introduction In the landmark case State of Washington v. Timothy Dye, the Supreme Court of Washington addressed the nuanced issue of...

Clarifying the Imposition of Legal Financial Obligations: Insights from STATE v. LUNDY

Date: Aug 14, 2013

Clarifying the Imposition of Legal Financial Obligations: Insights from STATE v. LUNDY Introduction State of Washington v. John Matthew Lundy, 176 Wash. App. 96 (2013), is a pivotal case from the...

Intent Required: Washington Supreme Court Sets Standard for Forgery Convictions in State v. Vasquez

Date: Jul 26, 2013

Intent Required: Washington Supreme Court Sets Standard for Forgery Convictions in State v. Vasquez Introduction The case of State of Washington v. Vianney Vasquez, adjudicated by the Supreme Court...

Prejudice Requirement in Collateral Sentencing Challenges: Analysis of State v. Finstad

Date: May 24, 2013

Prejudice Requirement in Collateral Sentencing Challenges: Analysis of State v. Finstad Introduction State v. Finstad, 177 Wash. 2d 501 (2013), presents a pivotal examination of the standards...

Affirmative Defense Instruction Over Defendant’s Objection: Coristine v. State

Date: May 10, 2013

Affirmative Defense Instruction Over Defendant’s Objection: Coristine v. State Introduction Coristine v. State (177 Wash. 2d 370, 2013) is a pivotal case adjudicated by the Supreme Court of...

Inclusion of Corporate Identities in Washington's Identity Theft Statute: State v. Evans

Date: Apr 12, 2013

Inclusion of Corporate Identities in Washington's Identity Theft Statute: State v. Evans Introduction The case of State of Washington v. Derrick Robert Evans (177 Wash. 2d 186, 2013) marks a...

Finality in Appellate Review: Insights from MacDonald Li v. ng Trust and Renaissance Homes

Date: Mar 22, 2013

Finality in Appellate Review: Insights from MacDonald Li v. ng Trust and Renaissance Homes Introduction The case of MacDonald Li v. ng Trust and Renaissance Homes, adjudicated by the Supreme Court of...

Affirmation of Death Sentence in STATE v. YATES: Upholding Established Standards in Personal Restraint Petitions

Date: Mar 15, 2013

Affirmation of Death Sentence in STATE v. YATES: Upholding Established Standards in Personal Restraint Petitions Introduction The case of STATE v. YATES, 296 P.3d 872 (Wash. 2013), presents a...

Lakey v. Puget Sound Energy: Clarifying the Boundaries of Inverse Condemnation and Expert Testimony Admissibility

Date: Mar 8, 2013

Lakey v. Puget Sound Energy: Clarifying the Boundaries of Inverse Condemnation and Expert Testimony Admissibility Introduction In Lakey v. Puget Sound Energy, Inc., the Supreme Court of Washington...

Klem v. Washington Mutual Bank: Defining Unfair and Deceptive Foreclosure Practices and Trustee’s Independent Duty Under Washington’s CPA

Date: Mar 1, 2013

Klem v. Washington Mutual Bank: Defining Unfair and Deceptive Foreclosure Practices and Trustee’s Independent Duty Under Washington’s CPA Introduction Dianne Klem, as Administrator of the Estate of...

Facial Validity and Timing in Personal Restraint Petitions: The Toledo–Sotelo Decision

Date: Feb 22, 2013

Facial Validity and Timing in Personal Restraint Petitions: The Toledo–Sotelo Decision Introduction The case of In the Matter of the Personal Restraint of Jose Toledo–Sotelo (176 Wash. 2d 759)...

Establishing the Fraud Exception to Attorney-Client Privilege in First-Party Insurance Bad Faith Claims

Date: Feb 22, 2013

Establishing the Fraud Exception to Attorney-Client Privilege in First-Party Insurance Bad Faith Claims Introduction Cedell v. Farmers Insurance Company of Washington is a landmark case adjudicated...

State v. Allen (2013): Upholding Judicial Discretion in Cross-Racial Eyewitness Identification Instructions

Date: Feb 9, 2013

State v. Allen (2013): Upholding Judicial Discretion in Cross-Racial Eyewitness Identification Instructions Introduction In State of Washington v. Bryan Edward Allen (294 P.3d 679, 2013), the Supreme...

Indivisible Plea Agreements and Sentencing Authority under Washington's Sentencing Reform Act: Analysis of STATE v. CHAMBERS

Date: Feb 8, 2013

Indivisible Plea Agreements and Sentencing Authority under Washington's Sentencing Reform Act: Analysis of STATE v. CHAMBERS Introduction The case of State of Washington v. James John Chambers Jr....