Criminal Defense

Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity A Victory Today but A Long-Term Loss Tomorrow Part II While the Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity Defense is a necessary and vital tool that should be utilized when appropriate, sometimes the long-term effects aren’t always clear. In my work to successfully advocate for a partial-conditional release for a client at a State

Read more

Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity A Victory Today but A Long-Term Loss Tomorrow As a criminal defense attorney in Vancouver (Clark County) Washington one of my primary responsibilities when defending an individual is to evaluate the alleged evidence and determine if there are any defenses that may apply to a case, beyond of course general denial.  Insanity rarely comes

Read more

This is the final segment related to the “rules of the road” for the new Clark County Mental Health Court, a program that could make a huge difference for someone accused of a Felony or Misdemeanor criminal offense in Vancouver, Clark County, WA. Graduation Requirements Fulfilled all probation and court conditions for case. Full payment of all financial obligations (program/filing

Read more

Program Fees ​All Mental Health Court Participants are required to pay a minimal program participation fee as well as all other court costs, fees, fines and/or restitution. Some fines may be eligible to be worked off on an alternate plan a case -by-case basis (work crew). The amount of the program fee and any associated cost, fines, fees, restitution and

Read more

I am continuing the article regarding Clark County, Washington’s improved Mental Health Court, starting with qualifying felonies and continuing forward, victim input, restitution, crimogenic  risk factors and referral and intake process. ​C. Qualifying Felonies A felony with a Sentencing Reform Act (SRA) Seriousness Level that does not exceed Level III. The defendant’s offender score must be 9 points or less.

Read more

As a criminal defense attorney in Vancouver (Clark County), Washington who has successfully handled a wide-ranging array of criminal cases, ranging from Disorderly Conduct to Attempted Murder in the Second Degree. I have encountered mental health issues throughout my practice involving my clients that were relevant both to potential defenses (insanity and diminished capacity) as well as mitigation (a justification

Read more

As a family law/divorce attorney in Vancouver, Clark County, WA, I am frequently asked in the course of my work how to limit the parenting plans for the other parent.  Washington law proscribes situations where the parenting time with a child can be limited by the court for a parent.  To be clear, these are very limited and specific circumstances

Read more

In my capacity as a criminal defense/assault attorney in Vancouver, WA, in a recent article I wrote, I detailed the use of self-defense in Assault in the Fourth Degree and Assault in the Fourth Degree Domestic Violence cases, using a recent jury trial I had won to illustrate the criminal defense aspect of self-defense in Washington.  If you are successful

Read more

I recently won a jury trial for Assault in the 4th Degree Domestic Violence based upon a theory of self-defense. The specific situation involved one spouse who reasonably believed that he was about to be injured based upon the actions and statements of the other spouse. While the other spouse did not actually injure my client, the circumstances presented a

Read more

As a criminal defense attorney in Vancouver, Clark County, WA that handles a wide-variety of criminal defense cases ranging from: Attempted Murder, Vehicular Homicide, Felon Strike Offenses, DUI, Domestic Violence Offenses, Sexual Assaults, Drug Offenses, Theft and other criminal defense matters. In my experience, I have seen the State prosecution do things in the late stages of moving a case

Read more