It’s Time to Start Treating Kids like Kids, Regardless of What They Did

Last month, Washington’s Supreme Court heard arguments on whether Miller v. Alabama, ___ U.S. ___, 132 S.Ct. 2455 (2012) should be applied retroactively to juveniles who were sentenced to life without parole in Washington. In Miller, the U.S. Supreme Court determined […]

Dissecting the Discovery the Utilization of Frame by Frame Analysis

As investigators we are always given the daunting task of reviewing discovery. This is usually looked on as "must do" task instead of a "have to" do requirement. Face it your attorneys are already overwhelmed with trying to file all […]

Steve Bright’s Vision

I have often said that I know of only two saints: John Rosenberg and Steve Bright. What criteria I used to reach that conclusion I’ll save for another day. John, a survivor of the Holocaust, was the founder of the Appalachian Research […]

Federal Court orders Washington cities to remedy willfully deficient right to counsel services

(republished with permission from The Sixth Amendment Center blog)   “The notes of freedom and liberty that emerged from Gideon’s trumpet a half a century ago cannot survive if that trumpet is muted and dented by harsh fiscal measures that reduce […]

You Can’t Get Upstream Without Swimming Against the Current

“It’s a simple throw down case, you should be able to prepare for that trial in a day.” “I can look at the police report and tell whether the case should be a plea.” “My client told me he did […]

Standing for the People We Represent

A few weeks ago, I was in court with a man I represent, awaiting the verdict of a lengthy and draining Murder trial. As we sat at defense table waiting for the Jury, a seemingly endless stream of police officers […]

Landmark Public Defender Case Out of Washington

Judge Robert Lasnik in Federal District Court in Seattle has issued an historic decision in a case challenging the systemic ineffectiveness of counsel in two Washington State cities, Mt. Vernon and Burlington. With dramatic language, he has found the cities […]

F.Y.I.’S on D.U.I.’S “Top Ten Issues on Videotape Reviews”

The following is a list of the top ten issues I have identified as an expert on the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. I have consistently observed these issues on review of videotapes of DUI traffic stops. One- Legged Stand: Pay […]

Who Will Heal the Public Defenders?

Public defenders committed to reform have always talked about two categories of fixes: financial (we obviously need more resources and more manageable caseloads to live up to our obligations to each client) and structural (we need to ensure public defenders are not put in […]

Public Defender’s Clean Slate Program Transforms Lives

Reformed offenders earn fresh starts The San Francisco Examiner – By Mike Aldax, September 29, 2013 If you do the crime, you should be prepared to do the time. While that's a variation on the adage made famous in the […]