Following a FREE showing of the award winning movie, "Hot Coffee" hosted by the Saltwater Unitarian Church and the Washington State Association for Justice in Des Moines, WA on Saturday, March, 24, 2012 at 6:30 p.m., attorney Roxanne Eberle will facilitate a Q&A period to discuss the film and the issues it raises. The Washington Post says, "Hot Coffee" is "Stunning...sends audiences out of the theater thinking in a brand new way." [youtube … [Read more...]
Do you know the details? Washington’s Cell Phone Law Turns 1 Year Old
On Friday, Washington's law banning the use of cellphones held to one's ear or texting while driving turned a year old. As you probably already know, it makes holding your phone to your ear or texting while driving a primary offense. That means an officer can ticket you for those actions without you having to do something else wrong first, like blow through a red light or speeding. I'm posting the link to the Seattle Times' article (below) because it has some good information. For example, I … [Read more...]
By Telling Cops of Dad’s Advice to Get a Lawyer, Suspect Didn’t Actually Ask for Lawyer | ABA Journal
I'm not a criminal defense lawyer and I don't practice criminal law. However, when I was in law school and while studying for the bar exam, I used to drill my then-teenage daughter, "You don't have a Constitutional right to a parent. You only have a Constitutional right to an attorney. You must be unequivocal in your request for an attorney. You cannot say, 'Do you think I need an attorney?' 'Maybe I should get an attorney?' You must say, 'I-WANT-AN-ATTORNEY!' in clear language." All that … [Read more...]
Teen driving act to be reintroduced in Congress | Consumer Reports Cars Blog
Teen driving act to be reintroduced in Congress In 2009, over 3,400 teens were killed in motor vehicle accidents, which represents 10 percent of all vehicle fatalities. To help address the problem and reduce deaths, a new teen driving act is being reintroduced in Congress after it was stalled last year and supporters are hoping this will be the year it will finally get passed. The STANDUP Act (Safe Teen and Novice Driver Uniform Protection Act) sponsored by Senators Kirsten E. Gillibrand D-NY, … [Read more...]
Sovereign immunity protects government but harms all of us | Seattle Times
Sovereign immunity protects government but harms all of us. Guest columnist Mickey Gendler argues that a proposal to give special legal protections to state government when its conduct results in harm to citizens should be rejected. By Mickey Gendler Special to The Times THE Washington state Legislature is currently considering special legal protections for state government when its reckless and careless conduct inflicts preventable harms and injuries onto the people of our state. The Seattle … [Read more...]
Can legal use of medical marijuana get you fired? State Supreme Court to decide | Seattle Times
By Jonathan Martin Seattle Times staff reporter Among the questions left unanswered by Washington's medical-marijuana law: Can legal use of medical marijuana get you fired? Thirteen years after voters approved its use, that question is likely to be answered by the Washington Supreme Court, which heard a test case on the issue last month. It involves a woman fired by a Bremerton call center in 2006 because she failed a pre-employment drug test but had a valid authorization from a doctor. The … [Read more...]
Worldwide Human Rights Day
December 10th is Worldwide Human Rights Day. In honor of the day, I uploaded a paper I wrote on the Death Penalty in the context of International Human Rights Law to Scribd. If you care to read it, you can find it here. -Roxanne … [Read more...]
I-1082: Bad for Business, Bad for Workers, Bad for You
I recently posted information about I-1082 on the Tukwila Talk community blog and thought that I would share those same thoughts here for those who are wondering about this important initiative as ballots are being filled out and mailed in. 1. I-1082 is bad for workers - In I-1082 the insurers have designed a system in which they would never be required to make a decision on a claim for medical benefits, nor would they be required to notify injured workers, their employers or their doctors … [Read more...]
Youth Violence Program Could be Gone Next Year
I know a family who has benefited from the Step Up program, which seems to work and truly make a difference. Wild Sky Law Group recommends voting Yes on Prop. 1 to help fund programs that keep our communities and families safe. "Step Up is our one remaining domestic-violence program," says Judge Bruce Hilyer, presiding judge at King County Superior Cour...t. "It’s our cherished program. There’s nothing comparable to it. It needs saving." Click on the link below to read more about the … [Read more...]