remain silent? or would it be alright if said person has a conscious and wants to apologize to victim?
I would definitely confer with a lawyer first. Confirm that your understanding of the SOL is correct before you go and confess to a crime.
It might also be prudent to have an attorney be your intermediary. Maybe you could have your apology delivered without identifying yourself?
It depends on the crime. Crimes of different seriousness have different "statutes of limitations". They are listed here:
https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9A.04.080
My car was parked at my apt parking lot and we just got contacted by our apt office that our car got hit by someone. They gave us contact # of that person. When we contacted, he says he does not have insurance and he just started working. But also, he says he would like to pay for the damage if we... Read more »
If you have insurance that would cover it, you could make a claim through them.
If not, you have some options. If he doesn't pay, you can report him to the DOL for an uninsured accident, and they have the power to suspend his license if he doesn't compensate you. Also, if he left... Read more »
I've been having a huge amount of difficulty finding any lawyer willing to accept a payment plan that isn't paid out thousands of dollars at a time. I've been looking into loan programs, but I have a sub 600 score. Are there any financial assistance programs for defendants in criminal cases?
There aren't specifically financial assistance programs for criminal defendants, largely because public defenders are available for indigent defendants.
If you don't qualify for that, then maybe it's just a matter of talking to multiple attorneys until you find one that you... Read more »
I got a voicemail from an investigator telling me that I was under investigation for inappropriate touching, should I call the investigator back and let them know I'm seeking legal representation? Or should I acquire the legal representation first before contacting the investigator in any way... Read more »
Talk to an attorney first. That attorney is almost surely going to advise you not to return the call at all. The lawyer can talk to the investigator for you in some cases. But in your statement to an investigator, you may inadvertently say something that gets interpreted as incriminating. If you... Read more »
i recently went to the police station and reported a 21 year old man sending nudes to me and getting me into his car, he never sexually touched me or even talked to me in his car and let me out after 30 seconds. (i’m 13) i know the nudes are illegal but i was just wondering what they’d do to him.
If he doesn't have any prior history, it's probably just the misdemeanor of "Communicating with a Minor for Immoral Purposes". Can carry jail, but doesn't necessarily. Does include requirement to register as a sex offender.
If he does have prior criminal history,... Read more »
There is no legal requirement that you be pulled over, or that the infraction be issued at the time of the incident. Only that the offense occurred in the officer's presence or that he or she has reasonable cause to believe that it was committed.
RCW 7.80.050
Notice of... Read more »
RCW 46.61.525 - Washington
$250 is the 'base fine'. A number of statutes add costs and assessments on to the base fine of any infraction (or criminal) fine.
The most significant is RCW 3.62.090, Public safety and education assessment. This adds 70% of the base, or about $175. The second PSEA assessment is... Read more »
I hired a lawyer for a DUI case 3 years ago. I was given a deferment for 3 years to get put down to negligent driving, I paid him 5k to follow my case till the end of my deferment period of 3 years. My final hearing for the end of the deferment is May 15. I tried contacting him as I hadn’t heard... Read more »
In all likelihood, you don't need a lawyer for that final hearing. You have a right to be represented, but that is a right you can waive. Every court handles these things a little bit differently, but you should not be penalized because your lawyer is no longer in practice. Your situation is... Read more »
My dog literally ate my ticket with all the information on it. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do especially with everything shutdown because of COVID 19.
You can call your county district court and they can look it up for you. Courts aren't shut down, but many have limited hours. If you were stopped in a city by a city police officer, you might want to try the municipal court.
Make sure you act quickly, after 15 days the court can... Read more »
Good chance. Most courts have some kind of diversion program for cases like this. If you can, you should talk to a lawyer before you go to court. There may a way to minimize the damage before you ever see a judge.
Most of the time a personal injury lawyer gets paid from the recovery they get for you from the person who injured you. Standard fee is a third of the recovery, but different cases can result in different fees. Usually the recovery comes from the other side's insurance.
In my... Read more »
I was rear ended by a third party while at work in a company vehicle. They’re trying to settle a day after the accident but I had to miss more days of work due to being out on light duty and having to have the doctor sign. I’m not trying to get as much money as possible but at the same time, I... Read more »
You should absolutely talk to a lawyer before you agree to any settlement. We have seen it over and over, the insurance company is highly motivated to settle your case cheaply before you get any advice. They will also try to commit you to saying you are feeling OK, that your injuries aren't... Read more »
Me a show cause hearing. What does this mean?
It is probably a type of probation violation hearing. Different courts use different terminology, but I would guess that's what that is. Typical DUI probation is 5 years, and depending on the judge they sometimes consider traffic infractions to be probation violations.
You can call... Read more »
I'm in court wednesday for pretrial conditions of release negotiations..my case involves the use of a CI for 100% of the states case beginning in the probable cause for the issuance of a search warrant.....I'm wondering if a Frank's hearing is requested pretrial with the potential to... Read more »
Short answer, yes. Any challenge to the sufficiency of the warrant, including a Franks hearing, would have to happen prior to trial. Those are the decisions that determine what evidence the jury is going to be allowed to hear, so they have to happen prior to the trial, normally weeks prior.
There are a couple of possibilities, but a lawyer would have to look at the ticket to answer for sure. Could be an error by the citing officer. There are jurisdictions that 'share' a court, when one town doesn't want to maintain its own court. I have never heard of them being in... Read more »
Sounds like you need to talk to a lawyer directly, yes. The domestic violence accusation can have some far reaching consequences, so I would recommend you call a lawyer as soon as you can.
Why was he give 12 year for first time offender?
For felony crimes, the standard sentence range (where the judge is expected to sentence) is established by the number of "points" the defendant has. For example, any prior felony conviction generally counts as a point, and increased the standard sentence range. There are other factors in... Read more »
Felony malicious mischief, lying to the police, dui, glue sniffing, various other crimes all within a few years time 1994. Then a dui in 2003.Rehabilitation then nothing more than 2 speeding tickets from 03-2019. Graduated with honors BS Paralegal Studies and become a top athlete. Plan on attending... Read more »
Not automatically. The bar association has rules regarding character and fitness:
http://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/?fa=court_rules.list&group=ga&set=APR
Look specifically at rule 21 to start.
Here is a real life example of someone who did it:... Read more »
The attorney was being investigated at the time and we found out at the end of trial. the judge dismissed herself then came back to be the judge again. The attorney was disbarred after the court date and he has not given any records back and did not use any evidence that he had to prove the case.... Read more »
There is no one answer to this question, way too many variables (in my opinion). I would say call a lawyer asap and talk about the details of what happened, and he or she can talk you through some options.
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