WA: chop chop

We made KIRO TV tonight, and not for a good reason:

Huge Impact Possible With Cuts To Thurston County Courts

Four public defenders who handle a total of more than a 1,000 cases a year are on the chopping block - the result will be a caseload increase for the remaining public defenders with potentially serious consequences.

"They're going to get overburdened, they're going to get stressed out and they're not going to give the kind of defense that they should give," said Sally Harrison, director of the Office of Assigned Counsel...

Video here.

That's it, I'm off to vacation (unpaid - thanks, budget cuts!)

The great recession hits home

Earlier this week all our support staff were reduced to 3/4 time, at 3/4 the pay. Today lay-offs were announced, effective May 31st, for four dedicated young lawyers in my office. The rest of us will do one week's leave without pay and apply what were our COLA's to our health insurance premiums. If only we worked someplace that provides a service to society, like AIG.

"Reporters feed me and let me nap on their coats"

Equal time, from Bob the Cat in Olympia:
A cat's eye view of the statehouse ( Bob's blog via Ridenbaugh Press )

Bonus link: Neko Case - People Got A Lotta Nerve

All hail glorious people's blog of eastside Olympia!

I just met the heroic Stakhanovite behind Oly Ost: Rolandovich looks much different in real life.

WA: we live in a political world

The lege is back in town. From the Spokesman-Review's Eye on Olympia:

(B)y tradition, Washington’s top lawmakers choose theme songs for the upcoming session... Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown read from a Bob Dylan song.

“Broken hands on broken plows, broken treaties, broken vows,” she read. “Broken pipes, broken tools, people bending broken rules.

“Hound dog howling, bullfrog croaking, everything is broken.”

WA: now or later, pay the piper

Local criminal defense lawyer Alex lays out the cost of cost-cutting:

Law and Order in Thurston County

In short: cutting public defense could lead to more expensive litigation for the county...

Eyes of a child

I finished interviewing my client, and brought his mom in from the lobby to wrap up the appointment.

Instead of sitting back down, my client went over to the windowsill and spent the rest of the session focusing animately on my views of the mountains, the capitol, the traffic and the 7-11.

I'm privileged to represent kids.

Altitude sickness

I just went from the westside Grocery Outlet direct to Bayview Thriftway, and I swear it made me dizzy.

WA: "it's going to be more expensive in the long run"

From the Olympian:

County workers fight for jobs - Speakers say cuts will be detrimental

Six speakers told Thurston County commissioners Monday that proposed job cuts to balance next year's budget carry serious ramifications. The commissioners are considering a proposal to lay off more than 7 percent of the county workforce — nearly 90 full-time-equivalent employees — because of rising costs and lagging revenue.

Under the budget proposal, the Office of Assigned Counsel — also known as public defenders — will lose eight employees and no longer represent indigent clients in Thurston County District Court. They will continue to represent clients charged in Superior Court. Alex Frix, a lawyer in the office, said the county would rely on private attorneys to take over the caseload. The shift could result in lawsuits over inadequate legal counsel, he said...

Purissima Olympia

We three went downtown today to admire the singing Christmas tree.

This is the only holiday concert I've attended where the carols contained the word "Beelzebub" (the kids started the show with a medley of Queen tunes. Seriously.)

Planning your next CLE?

Consider holding it in your state capitol building:
It's where I spent Friday, courtesy of the Washington Defender Association and OPD. Funky acoustics, uplifting surroundings.

Welcome Olyblog readers!

Hi, neighbors! I've never felt so conveted!

If you're curious, I like this judicial candidate
(he's the one on the right):
I've watched Sam at work and in court since I moved to Thurston County. I know that he will be a thoughtful and respectful judge.

WA: clean your lint filter!

Why I met with my clients outside today, from the Olympian:

Fire closes family, juvenile courts for day

Thurston County family and juvenile courts are closed after a dryer fire filled the building with smoke this morning...

Through the looking-glass

Took my 9-year-old to Sand in the City today, but not before taking a wrong turn through Hempfest first.

When it comes to 9-year-olds (and others), Rick Steves has a point:

"It shouldn’t be traumatizing for a person who is inclined to agree with the decriminalization movement to walk through Hempfest..."

(no photos - I'm not a narc)

WA: sueño rebelde

Today an accused teenager stood before the court commissioner, wearing a t-shirt similar to this one:Some days I get such a rise out of living here in Lotus Land.

Bonus link: commodify your dissent at The Che Store!

Toyota pious

On display today in the Family and Juvenile Court parking lot: a bumper sticker proclaiming "I DON'T SHOP AT WALMART" on the back of a shiny Prius (it's a popular accessory for this town's Volvo's and BMW's too).

That's bound to enlighten the families of my clients, who own the primer-gray beaters in the rest of the parking lot, and who don't know how they're going to pay the bill for detention and groceries and gas this month.

Lakefair... you know, for kids!

The boy and I just got back from Lakefair, Capitol Lake's yearly salute to algae and milfoil. The first day of each Lakefair is dedicated to the children of Thurston County, and to the men and women of the county juvenile probation department. For the P.O's, it's a great time to catch up with some of my clients, either right there on the midway or (sometimes after a short chase) afterward in detention. I saw a few of my own kid clients tonight, including an old one who's now employed in the carnival industry.

WA: acting weird - now constitutionally protected in Washington State

See what a little motion to suppress can do. From the Olympian:

WA court: Police pat-downs can't be based on odd behavior

In another nod to the Washington Constitution's broad privacy protections, the state Supreme Court has thrown out the drug conviction of a man who was searched by police solely because of his weird behavior. Thursday's unanimous decision reinforces the rules for simple pat-downs under state law, which offers stronger safeguards against police searches than the U.S. Constitution...

The case is State v. Setterstrom (pdf file).

From Eye on Olympia:

Meth conviction tossed out; police frisk was unjustified...

An officer may frisk a person... if stopping the person was justifiable, if the officer has "a reasonable concern of danger" and the scope of the search is limited to finding weapons. But Setterstrom presented no reasonable danger, the court ruled. His "nervous, fidgety behavior" wasn't enough. There were no threatening gestures or words. And he remained sitting down. And it's not unreasonable to think that people filling out a state benefits form for unemployment might "exhibit erratic behavior..."

Big salute to Thurston County public defender Deborah Murphy, who preserved the issue at the trial level.

WA: the activist's passive voice - "rocks were thrown"

(photo: Tony Overman/The Olympian)

Two updates on a participant in our latest local civil disturbance, from Eabha the Kiwi:

Danny (Vegas) Willson has been in Jail in Olympia Washington since May 1st and Needs Bail $$

As some of you already know Daniel Wilson (AKA Danny Vegas)... is currently in jail in Olympia, Washington. Danny along with five others were arrested on May 1st for there participation in a May Day celebration in which symbols of the state and Capital were attacked...

Danny Is Out

folks in olympia managed to find enough collateral, so we don't need bail anymore. however, they are still searching for cash for legal fees, etc... danny might be able to get a 'public defender', but there will still be major costs associated with the trial...

If he qualifies for the p.d., what major costs would those be? And what's with the quotation marks, 'comrades'?

Mawashi 'ed up

I can only avert my eyes in awe of the awesome awfulness of a local colleague's Craigslist ad:

FREE CONSULTATION - I handle anything from Simple Misdemeanors to Murder. INCREDIBLE PRICES CAN BE OBTAINED FROM A PREMIER CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY.

Why incredible prices? I had personal issues last year that required me to downscale my practice. I am back, but it will take me sometime to rebuild my practice so I am willing to provide low prices as I rebuild...

I think that "personal issues" is a fine euphemism.