District Court is a busy court. There are two deputy prosecutors who handle cases there. The cases are misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor crimes with maximum sentences of 90 day for misdemeanors and 364 days for gross misdemeanors. DUI, simple assaults (many with domestic violence), theft, minors with alcohol and driving while suspended are the most […]

On August 9, 2012, a jury reached a verdict in the trial of Ms. Danielle Brewster of Springdale. She had been charged with Unlawful Hunting of Big Game in the 1st Degree (felony) and Waste of Fish and Wildlife in the First Degree, as a result of her involvement in the illegal killing of a […]

About three months ago, one of my deputies and I were asked about a problem that exists over the use of some land. It is not unusual for the office to consider land issues, but it is usually in the context of easements and boundary disputes between neighbors. Most of these are civil disputes and […]

This past week, Matthew Thomas Richmond of Loon Lake pleaded guilty to Assault in the Second Degree with a Firearm Enhancement. The charge arose out of a road rage incident between two young men on March 23, 2012. It ended when Mr. Richmond shot and severely wounded the other driver, Mr. Josh Pickens. The incident […]

About two months ago, Christopher G. Nichols, age 28, was convicted by a jury of multiple counts of Unlawful Possession of a Firearms, Theft of Firearms, Burglary, Theft of Motor Vehicle and Trafficking in Stolen Property. The charges arose out of the burglary of a Colville area home in June of 2011. During that theft […]

In a recent decision, The United States Supreme Court has decided that “the Eighth Amendment forbids a sentencing scheme that mandates life in prison without possibility of parole for juvenile offenders.” This decision continues the trend of the Supreme Court showing some leniency toward juveniles. The court has previously decided that juveniles cannot be sentenced […]

From a recent press release, we learn that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has confirmed a wolf pack is living in Stevens County. WDFW has named this group of wolves the Huckleberry pack. It is Washington’s seventh documented pack. WDFW also suspects that there are an additional five packs in the state, […]

There were several changes to our laws which strengthen efforts to stop DUI driving. The changes range from increasing the fines to longer sentences and enhancements for having children present in the vehicle. One of the most important changes was that the seriousness level for the crime of Vehicular Homicide while driving under the influence […]

On Friday, June 15, a superior court jury returned a verdict of guilty on all 21 counts in the trial of Christopher George Nichols, 26, of Colville. He was convicted of 9 counts of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm; 9 counts of Theft of a Firearm; 1 count each of Residential Burglary, Auto Theft and […]

In an article written by Andrew Price, “Saying sorry better than Prison,” he writes that a new way to deal with young offenders has been started in Northern Ireland. They have been experimenting with something they call the “Youth Conference.” Instead of sending kids who commit assault, theft, or “motoring offences” to a juvenile prison, […]