Last week a county resident came to my office with a concern about whether he was going to be charged with a crime. He showed me a letter he had received from a state agency. The letter said that it had been decided that he had committed a civil infraction by advertising to work without […]

Red Skelton— an American, (quoting his childhood teacher) said in 1969: “Boys and girls, I have been listening to you recite the Pledge of Allegiance all semester and it appears that it has become monotonous to you or could it be you do not know the meaning of those words. If I may, I would […]

Last week the office filed charges of a very unusual nature. Terry Lee Verhaag, DOB 10/20/63, has been charged with three counts of Unlawful Removal of Grave Markers. These are felony charges. The discovery of his possession of the gravestones came about as a result of an investigation into another situation. When Law Enforcement officers […]

Here is another example of the fact that even after a person pleads guilty the case may not be over. Rocky Rhodes Kimble pleaded guilty in March of 2000 to crimes of First Degree Rape and Residential Burglary which occurred in 1999. He has filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea. He now claims […]

While the majority of the legislature’s work this year was focused on the budget problems facing our state, there were some important changes made to laws which affect the prosecution of criminal cases. I have selected some of the more important ones to summarize. The penalty for the crime of Vehicular Homicide has been increased […]

Last Tuesday, April 17 there was the sentencing hearing for Craig Cosby who had been convicted On March 30 of Premeditated Murder in the killing of his wife on October 3, 2009. Judge Nielson presided at the hearing. The hearing was attended by friends and family of Susan Cosby. The judge listened to the sentence […]

On Tuesday April 10, Collette M Pierce, 25, pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder. She was involved in the July 17, 2011 killing of Colville resident Gordon Feist. She is the last of three people to enter guilty pleas in the murder. Previously, Eric Booth, 26, pleaded guilty to First Degree Murder and received a […]

Last week the trial of Eric C. Truitt began on Monday in Superior Court. Truitt had been charged with Assault in the Second Degree and Harassment- Threats to Kill. The charges were the result of a beating of an ex-girlfriend on May 23, 2011, at his Onion Creek area home in northern Stevens County. After […]

The trial of Craig R. Cosby was held last week in Superior Court. Mr. Cosby was charged with First Degree Murder in the killing of his wife Susan on October 3, 2009, in Marcus, Washington. Judge Nielson presided at the trial which was attended each day by about 30 friends, family and neighbors. After jury […]

On March 12, 2012 a trial was held in the Stevens County Superior Court involving James “Danny” Cannon. Mr. Cannon was charged with Attempting to Elude a Pursuing Police Officer and Bail Jumping. The Attempting to Elude charge stemmed from an incident on May 19, 2011 when Deputy James Glover saw and recognized Mr. Cannon […]