$210,385.00 Settlement in Pierce County, Washington Prisoner’s Death by Washington State’s Pierce County paid $210,385.00 to settle a wrongful death suit in a prisoner’s death. Edward J. Devereux was booked into the Pierce County Jail on June 13, 2003. He was seen by Dr. V. G. Halarnaker on June 23, …
Felon Disenfranchisement Statute Does Not Violate Voting Rights Act by Brandon Sample The good news for Washington state prisoners wanting to restore their voting rights? The state’s felon disenfranchisement statute violates the Voting Rights Act (VRA), a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held on …
Washington State: Polygraphs Not Required for Relief from Sex Offender Registration by As juveniles, Jeffrey Hooper and Terry Felice were found guilty of sex crimes that required them to register as sex offenders. In 2008, as adults, they each filed petitions asking the Spokane County Superior Court to relieve them …
Transient Sex Offender Not Required to Provide Address by On July 18, 2009, Washington State charged Phillip Flowers with failure to register as a sex offender as required by RCW 9A.44.130(11)(a). Flowers subsequently filed a Knapstead motion, which was granted by the district court. The State then appealed that ruling. …
Witness Testimony Judged Appropriate on Appeal by Following his conviction for custodial assault, Washington prisoner David Sykes filed his appeal arguing the trial court admitted into evidence “improper opinion testimony” and his counsel was ineffective for failing to object to it. Sykes was convicted of the assault for throwing a …
$1,360.50 Settlement in Washington State Public Records Act Litigation by The Washington State Department of Corrections (WDOC) paid $1,360.50 to settle a Public Records Act claim. The Settlement came in a suit brought by prisoner Brandt Sappenfield. In his July 20, 2002 complaint, Sappenfield alleged that on February 11, 2002, …
Washington State Pays $277.94 and $450 in Public Records Tort Suit against DOC by The State of Washington Department of Corrections paid $727.94 to settle two different public records tort suits to prisoner Nicholas S. Roy. On November 3, 2004, Roy requested a list of all persons who are being …
Toilet Tank Lid Ruled “Deadly Weapon” by A juvenile Court in Grant County, Washington, convicted a minor, D.A.C., of second degree assault after he threw a toilet tank lid at an employee of the Grant County Youth Services Detention Facility. D.A.C. appealed the assault conviction on the ground that the …
Personal Restraint Petition Challenging Restitution Granted in Washington State by On August 8, 2007, a prosecutor in Spokane County, Washington filed and was granted ex parte motions and orders extending jurisdiction for an additional 10 years against Andrew Brady to recover the balance of the restitution and penalties he owed …
Ex-Prosecutor Wins Award in Wrongful Termination Suit by On January 25, 2010, an ex-deputy prosecuting attorney for Pierce County, Washington, Barbara Corey, won her appeal and was awarded in excess of $2 million in a lawsuit she filed against the County following her forced resignation. Ms. Corey’s complaint accused the …
Washington Prisoner Awarded $210 for Untimely PRA Response by The Washington Court of Appeal has affirmed the award of sanctions to Kevin Mitchell, a prisoner at the Stafford Creek Corrections Center, when the Department of Corrections (Department) responded to his public records request in an untimely manner. In May 2007, …
Search for Records Under Washington PRA Held Inadequate by The Division III Court of Appeals for the State of Washington has reversed a grant of summary judgment for the County of Spokane in a suit under the Washington Public Records Act (PRA). Neighborhood Alliance sent a PRA request to the …
9th Circuit Affirms Reduction in CJA Attorney Fees by On November 10, 2009, the 9th Circuit filed its decision approving a district judges ruling reducing the requested compensation to be paid to an attorney appointed to provide legal representation for an indigent felon pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act (CJA), …
Washington Court of Appeals Upholds Civil Commitment’s Conviction for Assault by The Division II Court of Appeals for the State of Washington has affirmed the assault conviction of a civilly committed man. Bob Pugh assaulted a King County Sheriff’s Department officer while he was being escorted from the McNeil Island …
Washington DOC Agrees to Pay $965.44 After Woman’s Car Was Struck by Debris by On December 14, 2005, the Washington Department of Corrections (DOC) Agreed to pay $965.44 to a woman whose car was damaged after a piece of particle board fell out of a DOC truck. On October 21, …
Washington Court Reverses Injunction Against Prisoner’s Public Records Requests by On July 29, 2010, the Washington State Court of Appeals affirmed that prisoners have standing to request records under Washington’s Public Records Act (PRA). The court also held that photographs of guards; personnel, compensation and training records; and intelligence and …
$6,000 Settlement in Washington DOC Slip and Fall Suit by The State of Washington paid $6,000 to settle the lawsuit of Cherie Linn Sims for injuries sustained from a cracked sidewalk. While walking down the sidewalk at Airway Heights Correction Center on October 27, 2003 around 8:30 p.m., Sims tripped …
$6,000 Settlement in Washington Prisoner’s Auto Accident Claim by The State of Washington paid $6,000 to settle the lawsuit of Christopher Morgan for bodily injury sustained in an auto accident. While incarcerated at Little Rock Prison, Morgan was transported to Shelton on September 25, 2003 for a dental appointment. When …
$7,000 Settlement in False Arrest, §1983 Suit Related to Search for Parolee by $7,000 Settlement in False Arrest, §1983 Suit Related to Search for Parolee On November 7, 2007, the State of Washington agreed to settle a 42 U.S.C. §1983 suit brought by the parents of a DOC parolee who …
Strip Searches Result In $7,500 Settlement by On April 25, 2008 the State of Washington agreed to pay $7,500 to settle a suit by three prisoners who alleged that they were strip searched in a degrading manner. The suit, filled by Willeen Ballard, Deborah Monroe, and Becky Richter alleged that …
