Whatcom County Seeks Chief Deputy Public Defender

Whatcom County seeks an experienced criminal defense attorney with management experience to assist the Public Defender in all legal and administrative functions of the Public Defender’s Office. The office of the Public Defender ...

Trainings in September to Enhance Your Misdemeanor and Driving Related Practice

This September, we have multiple trainings, both in-person and via webinar to enhance your misdemeanor and driving related practice. See the links below for more details. September 6 – Litigating Traffic Stops Webinar Septem...

Criminal Trespass Practice Advisory

Criminal Trespass Practice Advisory

Principles and Leading Cases on Procedures in Personal Restraint Petitions (2018)

“Litigate Dependency Cases”: One Defender’s Success Story

by: Alexandria (Ali) Hohman I represented a young child from Haiti (HC) who came to the United States with her father and step-mother. HC made disclosures about being sexually abused potentially by her father. The stepmother calle...

WDA Proposes Changes to Court Rules

WDA has proposed changes to several related court rules in an effort to keep defense requests for expert funding confidential. The court rules include CrR 3.1, CrRLJ 3.1, JuCR 9.3 and GR 15. Click here to see the proposal. WDA has...

Washington Defender Association Day!

Washington Defender Association celebrated 35 years of fighting for justice this past week. And Governor Inslee recognized the special day through a proclamation making December 14, 2018 Washington Defender Association Day! View t...

Washington Supreme Court rules juvenile life without parole violates the state constitution.

October 18, 2018 In a decision reached today, State of Washington v. Brian Bassett, the Washington Supreme Court ruled that sentencing juveniles to life without parole is unconstitutional. The sentencing statute, RCW 10.95.030(3)(...

Washington Court Rules Published for Comment

The following proposed rule changes and new rules were ordered published for comment by the July 11, 2018 En Banc Administrative Conference per Order 25700-A-1236: Proposed changes to CrR 4.7 – Discovery and CrRLJ 4.7 ...

WSBA Council on Public Defense Seeks Your Input

The WSBA Council on Public Defense (CPD) is seeking input from defenders in two areas of practice: ITA and persistent offender cases. Today, the CPD Mental Health Committee is submitting proposed Performance Guidelines to the full...