News & Updates
Seeking Public Defender Representatives for Pattern Jury Instructions Subcommittees
The Pattern Jury Instructions Committee (WPI) is seeking one or two defense attorney volunteers for subcommittees working on revisions to Ch. 35 and 36 (Assault, Reckless Endangerment, Harassment and DV) and Traffic Instructions Â...
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Washington State Supreme Court Adopts General Rule 37
On April 5th, the Washington State Supreme Court adopted new General Rule (GR) 37 to eliminate the unfair exclusion of potential jurors based on race or ethnicity. Thanks to the hard work of community members, the jury selection w...
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Critical Criminal Justice Reforms for Washington’s Youth: E2SSB 6160 Changes Decline and Auto Decline Statutes
Timely and Critical Criminal Justice Reforms for Washington’s youth: E2SSB 6160 Changes Decline and Auto Decline Statutes (effective June 7, 2018) Last week Governor Inslee signed E2SSB 6160, a bill that dramatically changes the...
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National Public Defense Week: Honoring 2018 WDA Award Winners
It is an honor to recognize WDA’s 2018 award recipients as a part of this year’s National Public Defense Week activities.  The honorees officially will be presented their awards on April 27, 2018 at the 2018 Defender Conferen...
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WDAIP Preliminary Analysis of Jennings v. Rodriguez
On February 27th, in Jennings v. Rodriguez, 583 U. S. ___(2018), the U.S. Supreme Court decided that many noncitizens facing deportation, including those convicted of certain crimes and detained by ICE when released from state/fe...
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Action Alert: SB 6052 – Death Penalty Abolition In Sight!
We are SO CLOSE to abolishing the death penalty in Washington. Senate Bill 6052 was voted out of the House Judiciary Committee and is currently in the Rules Committee. This is the farthest that any abolishment bill ever introduced...
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King County Council Passes Immigration Ordinance that Prohibits Use of Local Resources to Participate in ICE Enforcement
Today, in a 6-3 vote, members of the King County Council passed an immigration ordinance that prohibits use of county resources, including law enforcement and the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (the jail), to take any ...
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Urgent Legislative Action Alert
Bills must be voted out of their house of origin by tomorrow, February 14, 2018. Please use the link below to contact legislators urging them to pass SB 5689, the Keep Washington Working Act.  This bill will provide protection ...
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Washington Defender Association’s Conditional of Support HB 2687
WDA and WACDL strongly support increased state funding for indigent defense services. The provision of these critical, constitutionally mandated trial level services has been delegated to local governments and we commend these eff...
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Important Budget Action Request
Hearings were held the first two days of the session on the supplemental budget for 2017-18. Greg Link, director of the Washington Appellate Project and WDA/WACDL’s lobbyist, Bob Cooper, testified in favor of the Washington St...
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