Washington Case Commentaries

Unconstitutional De Facto Life Sentence for Juveniles: Analysis of State v. Haag

Date: Sep 24, 2021

Unconstitutional De Facto Life Sentence for Juveniles: Analysis of State of Washington v. Timothy Haag Introduction State of Washington v. Timothy Haag is a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of...

State v. Vazquez: Establishing the Importance of Effective Counsel in Challenging Inadmissible Evidence

Date: Sep 10, 2021

State v. Vazquez: Establishing the Importance of Effective Counsel in Challenging Inadmissible Evidence Introduction The landmark case of State of Washington v. Jessica L. Vazquez (494 P.3d 424,...

Limitation of Duty for Social Services Agencies: Insights from Turner v. DSHS et al.

Date: Aug 13, 2021

Limitation of Duty for Social Services Agencies: Insights from Turner v. DSHS et al. Introduction Turner v. Washington State Department of Social & Health Services (DSHS) et al. is a pivotal case...

Excessive Fines and the Ability to Pay: Washington State Supreme Court's Landmark Decision in City of Seattle v. Long

Date: Aug 13, 2021

Excessive Fines and the Ability to Pay: Washington State Supreme Court's Landmark Decision in City of Seattle v. Long Introduction The Supreme Court of Washington rendered a significant decision in...

Supreme Court Upholds Substantial Damages in Wrongful Death Case: Coogan v. Borg-Warner Morse Tec Inc.

Date: Jul 9, 2021

Supreme Court Upholds Substantial Damages in Wrongful Death Case: Coogan v. Borg-Warner Morse Tec Inc. Introduction The case of Coogan v. Borg-Warner Morse Tec Inc. represents a significant judicial...

Enhancing "Active Efforts" Under ICWA: A Landmark Washington Supreme Court Decision

Date: Jun 25, 2021

Enhancing "Active Efforts" Under ICWA: A Landmark Washington Supreme Court Decision Introduction The Supreme Court of the State of Washington delivered a pivotal decision on June 24, 2021, in the...

Washington Supreme Court Upholds Filtered Internet Access Conditions in Community Custody for Child Sex Offenders

Date: Jun 11, 2021

Washington Supreme Court Upholds Filtered Internet Access Conditions in Community Custody for Child Sex Offenders Introduction The case of State of Washington v. Christopher R. Johnson addresses the...

Non-Retroactivity of Penal Statute Amendments in Persistent Offender Sentencing: Analysis of State v. Jenks

Date: May 28, 2021

Non-Retroactivity of Penal Statute Amendments in Persistent Offender Sentencing: Analysis of State v. Jenks Introduction STATE OF WASHINGTON, Respondent, v. ALAN D. JENKS is a significant case...

Reevaluating Flight Evidence: FTA Not Sufficient for Inferring Consciousness of Guilt - State v. Slater

Date: May 21, 2021

Reevaluating Flight Evidence: FTA Not Sufficient for Inferring Consciousness of Guilt - State v. Slater Introduction State of Washington v. Samuel David Obert Slater is a landmark decision by the...

Expansion of the Reasonable Foreseeability Exception in Premises Liability: Johnson v. State of Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board

Date: May 14, 2021

Expansion of the Reasonable Foreseeability Exception in Premises Liability: Johnson v. State of Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board Introduction The landmark case of Johnson v. State of Washington...

Three-Year Statute of Limitations for Tenant Deposit Recovery Established in Silver v. Rudeen Management Company

Date: Apr 23, 2021

Three-Year Statute of Limitations for Tenant Deposit Recovery Established in Silver v. Rudeen Management Company Introduction The case of Thomas Silver v. Rudeen Management Company, Inc., decided by...

Clarifying the Workman Test: State v. Coryell Establishes Enhanced Standards for Lesser Included Offense Instructions

Date: Mar 26, 2021

Clarifying the Workman Test: State v. Coryell Establishes Enhanced Standards for Lesser Included Offense Instructions Introduction In State of Washington v. Tanner Lee Coryell (197 Wash. 2d 397), the...

Enhanced Defendants' Rights to Cross-Examine Informant Witnesses: Insights from State v. Nicholas Conan Orn

Date: Mar 19, 2021

Enhanced Defendants' Rights to Cross-Examine Informant Witnesses: Insights from State v. Nicholas Conan Orn Introduction State of Washington v. Nicholas Conan Orn (482 P.3d 913) is a pivotal case...

Washington Supreme Court Declares Mandatory Life Without Parole Unconstitutional for Youthful Adults (18-21)

Date: Mar 12, 2021

Washington Supreme Court Declares Mandatory Life Without Parole Unconstitutional for Youthful Adults (18-21) Introduction In the landmark case of In the Matter of the Personal Restraint of Kurtis...

Washington Supreme Court Establishes Proximate Causation Standards for School District Negligence in Off-Campus Activities

Date: Mar 5, 2021

Washington Supreme Court Establishes Proximate Causation Standards for School District Negligence in Off-Campus Activities Introduction In the landmark case of Meyers v. Ferndale School District, the...

Unconstitutional Strict Liability in Drug Possession: Insights from State of Washington v. Shannon B. Blake

Date: Feb 26, 2021

Unconstitutional Strict Liability in Drug Possession: Insights from State of Washington v. Shannon B. Blake Introduction State of Washington v. Shannon B. Blake is a landmark decision by the Supreme...

Establishing Duty of Reasonable Care in Warrant Execution: Mancini v. City of Tacoma

Date: Jan 29, 2021

Establishing Duty of Reasonable Care in Warrant Execution: Mancini v. City of Tacoma Introduction In the landmark case of Kathleen Mancini v. City of Tacoma, the Supreme Court of the State of...

Clarifying the Confrontation Clause: Nontestimonial Nature of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners' Statements

Date: Jan 15, 2021

Clarifying the Confrontation Clause: Nontestimonial Nature of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners' Statements Introduction In State of Washington v. Ronald Delester Burke, 196 Wash. 2d 712 (2021), the...

State Fails to Demonstrate ICWA/WICWA Active Efforts in Dependency Case of L.K.

Date: Dec 25, 2020

State Fails to Demonstrate ICWA/WICWA Active Efforts in Dependency Case of L.K. Introduction The Supreme Court of the State of Washington, in the case titled In the Matter of the Dependency of...

Washington Supreme Court Rules RCW 49.46.130(2)(g) Unconstitutional under Article I, Section 12

Date: Nov 6, 2020

Washington Supreme Court Rules RCW 49.46.130(2)(g) Unconstitutional under Article I, Section 12 Introduction In the landmark case of Jose Martinez-Cuevas and Patricia Aguilar, individually and on...