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Theft, burglary, and robbery are three terms that we often use interchangeably, but under Washington state law, they are three distinct types of crimes. In simple terms, theft involves taking someone’s property without his or her permission, while burglary and robbery often involve serious, violent actions, such as breaking and entering and using a…

Theft is a crime where one person takes someone else’s property without his or her permission, with the intent to deprive that person of the property. Many people wonder about the difference between the categories of theft in Washington law, including the penalties and thresholds associated with each charge. While all types of thefts…

Sexual assault is a severe crime that the state of Washington takes very seriously. Victims of sexual violence often seek assistance at hospitals or medical centers following the assault, and receive an examination known as a rape kit. Rape kits collect certain pieces of evidence from victims’ bodies, including potential DNA evidence, so that…

Laws in Washington state protect landowners from unwanted visitors by imposing criminal penalties for trespassing. If you are on someone else’s land without permission, law enforcement officers can easily arrest you and charge you with this crime — and depending on the circumstances, you may receive higher penalties if your trespassing was criminal. There…

The criminal justice system is meant to judge cases fairly and to assign the correct penalties to the correct circumstances. However, this system does not always result in fair or correct outcomes — leading to people receiving disproportionate sentences, or serving time for crimes they did not commit. In these situations, with the help…

Many state legislatures have enacted statutes legalizing recreational marijuana use, and the state of Washington is among them. While adults over the age of 21 can legally purchase and consume cannabis, marijuana still comes with some limits regarding its use, sale, and production. If you break one of Washington’s marijuana laws, you could face…