Crime Rate Dips in Seattle

Seattle Criminal Defense Attorney - Lennard A. Nahajski

Some 2019 magazine headlines like “Left-coast Lawlessness” and “Seattle Under Siege” might have been a bit overblown. According to the official records, crime rates decreased across the board last year. Property crime rates, mostly theft, were at their lowest levels since the 1970s. Violent crime rates also dropped sharply. Seattle Police Department spokesperson Sergeant Sean… Read More

Sex Trafficking Sting Nabs Four Men

Lennard Nahajski - Seattle Criminal Defense Attorney

A multi-agency effort, led by the Washington State Patrol, ended with the arrest of four individuals who thought they were to meet a minor for illicit purposes. “Detectives posed as the juveniles,” officials said in a statement announcing the arrests. So, “no juveniles were used or at risk during the operation.” “While DuPont is a… Read More

Bail Set After Violent Richland Break-In

A man who allegedly broke into a Richland home and held a knife to an 11-year-old girl’s throat is in custody in the Benton County Jail. According to investigators, Jordan Smith broke into a house and ordered the girl to come with him. After a brief struggle, during which both Smith and the girl were… Read More

Controversial Tweet Exposes Weakness in Pretrial Release System

In a recent tweet, Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best expressed apparent frustration with the city’s jail release system. “A business owner reported a property crime, and @SeattlePD arrested the suspect. Within hours, the suspect was released from jail and returned to commit a new crime. The same officer re-arrested the suspect. This not only hurts… Read More

Bemerton Man Attacked His Roommate; Claims He is a Vampire

Kitsap County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 40-year-old man who attacked his roommate with a metal rod because he feared the man was undead. According to the alleged victim, the defendant has a history of severe mental problems. The alleged victim said the defendant accused him of being a vampire, to which the roommate responded “Is… Read More

Prosecutors Decline to Retry Shooters at Milo Yiannopoulos Event

After one jury deadlocked, King County prosecutors said they would not retry Marc and Elizabeth Hokoana, who were charged with assaulting protestor Joshua Dukes at a University of Washington event in January 2017. Yiannopoulos, a former Breitbart editor and outspoken conservative, was scheduled to speak on campus on Inauguration Day 2017. Emotions were high, as… Read More

New Study: Hate Crimes Spike in Washington State

Lennard A. Nahajski - Seattle criminal defense attorney

Between 2013 and 2017, hate crimes increased 22 percent nationally. But in Washington, these incidents skyrocketed 78 percent. Race accounted for 60 percent of these offenses. Most of the rest were either religion (21 percent) and sexual orientation (16 percent). Almost all of the hate crimes in Washington over that period were aggravated assaults. These… Read More

Washington State Governor Signs a Bill to Erase Marijuana Misdemeanors

Washington State legalized recreational marijuana in 2012, and criminal penalties finally are catching up. According to a recent article in The Seattle Times, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed a bill pertaining to marijuana convictions. Once the new law takes effect, most people with misdemeanor marijuana convictions will be able to have those convictions erased. To… Read More

Hate Crimes Spiked in Washington During 2018

A recent report from the Anti-Defamation League confirmed what the FBI said last November. The number of hate crimes in Washington State increased dramatically in 2018. According to a national audit, anti-Semitic incidents in Washington increased 60 percent between 2017 and 2018. Hate crimes are up overall as well. According to the FBI report, race,… Read More