redemption law

When people talk about the consequences of a criminal conviction, they usually speak in terms of the actual sentence – whether that means heavy fines, a brief stint in jail, a hefty prison term, a period of probation or some combination of the lot.  The collateral...

It’s no secret that a criminal conviction will have a profound impact on your life. The collateral consequences of these convictions can range from not being able to own a firearm to having trouble finding suitable employment. Without being able to get a job, you...

One of the consequences of being convicted of a felony offense in Washington State is that you will lose your eligibility to own a firearm. There’s no expiry date to the ban, meaning that once it’s imposed, it is there forever. It makes owning a firearm a felony...

Generally speaking, when someone confesses to a crime, there’s little dispute about whether or not they committed that crime. By the mere fact of confessing to it, they’ve made it very clear that they are guilty of whatever it is they’ve been accused of doing....

Although the Second Amendment in theory enshrines the right to legal firearm ownership, the reality is that there are numerous scenarios in which people cannot lawfully own firearms. Those diagnosed with certain mental health conditions and those convicted of certain...

If you get arrested for a drug-related crime, the actual penalties may not be that severe. You may have to serve a short jail sentence and pay a fine, for example. However, the problem that you may find is that this creates a criminal record. In some cases, this...

In 2016, Washington enacted the Certificate of Restoration of Opportunity (CROP) bill. The law reduces barriers that individuals with a criminal conviction face, such as securing employment or renting a house. It can also restore their eligibility for occupational...

It’s common to portray individuals as good or bad. The truth is that human behavior just isn’t that simple. There are numerous reasons why someone may be charged with a crime and even convicted. All criminal activity is wrong but a criminal history doesn’t mean that...

People often make major mistakes when they are young that they would never dream of making later in life. People with more world experience understand the consequences that could result from questionable decisions and also have an easier time evaluating the long-term...

Ever since the late 1980s, people have had to look at criminal convictions a little bit differently. This is because DNA evidence was starting to be used in exonerations. Specifically, 1989 saw the first exoneration based on DNA evidence. This means that an individual...