Seattle Criminal Defense Law Blog

If it seems as though teenagers struggle to make good decisions, it is not because they are collectively choosing to do so. At this age, their brains are simply not fully developed yet. Indeed, a lack of impulse control may even seem like a defining characteristic of...

Washington police recently took two teenage boys into custody for their alleged role in an attempted murder. Of the two, one is facing a second degree charge for allegedly violating the Uniformed Firearms Act, while both are facing first degree criminal charges for...

Sometimes when children reach their teen years, they begin testing the boundaries or struggling to find their identities. This may lead to reckless behavior that parents may not understand. Unfortunately, that reckless behavior may place the lives of youthful...

You probably still remember what it was like to be a teenager, and you know that it was not easy. Like most people in Washington, you probably made your fair share of mistakes during your teen years but were still able to move forward with your life. Unfortunately,...

Police questioning is routine in Washington, but it can be overwhelming and scary in the moment -- especially when that questioning involves a minor. This is partly because minors are not always aware of what rights they have when in police custody or being...

Your teenager’s trajectory may differ from the one you had set them on. Bright and talented, you likely expected that they would be college-bound. Yet, they may have experienced challenges that have prevented them from thriving in the way you had hoped. If your...

For juvenile offenders who have been sentenced to detention centers, finding a way to regain some sense of freedom is often a priority. However, probation usually comes with strict terms, any violation of which may send a minor back into detention. According to...

The juvenile justice system should treat all youth equally and fairly. However, there are actually a number of factors that influence how juvenile offenders are treated in Washington. The outcome of a teenager’s experience with the justice system often comes down to...

The juvenile justice system is supposed to treat all youthful offenders equally, but this is sadly not always the case. Hispanic and Latino juvenile offenders face higher rates of court-ordered placement and are detained twice as much as their white peers. The exact...