We ought to express our thanks and support for the firefighters that have poured into our area to fight these terrible fires. I have seen trucks from as far away as Minnesota and New Mexico and I am sure many more are coming. The Emergency Coordinator, former Stevens County Sheriff’s detective, Jim Caruso, says this […]

Last weekend in the early morning hours, there was an Officer Involved Shooting that resulted in the death of someone. The incident occurred in the Hunters area in the presence of 3 deputies of the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office. The deceased was armed with a handgun. Only one deputy fired his weapon and the subject […]

Last week on August 12, First-degree Murder charges were filed against Sherman K Akina (1-27-96) of Valley, Washington as a result of an incident that occurred in Chewelah early in the morning the previous Sunday. The incident involved a vehicle vs. pedestrian. Documents filed with the court state that Chewelah police were called to an […]

Cases and Appeals Chris Nichols: His conviction on multiple charges related to his stealing and possession of stolen firearms resulted in a sentence about 125 years. This long sentence was mandatory based on the crimes he committed and his prior criminal history. The Court of Appeals sustained the sentence. The Supreme Court has denied review […]

The prosecutor has the responsibility to make decisions regarding whether or not to file a charge. When a report comes in from a law enforcement agency, our first task is to consider whether or not there has been a violation of the law. The next is to consider whether or not there is sufficient proof […]

It is a long-established principal that we have a right to defend our homes and ourselves. This right has been extended to include a right to defend others as well. Another principle in our law is based on the concept that a person is under no obligation to prove anything to a jury. The State […]

When something bad happens, Law Enforcement investigates to figure out what happened and why. They gather the physical evidence, interview the available witnesses, make other inquires related to what they find, get scientists to look at the evidence if necessary, and do many other things to develop proof of what the evidence shows. All this […]

Last Tuesday, after a 2-day jury trial, Dennis Patterson of Deer Park was convicted of two crimes in Superior Court. One was Disorderly Conduct and the other Interference with Court Process. Superior Court usually hears felony cases and these are misdemeanor charges, but it was my decision to file these cases in Superior Court instead […]

Burglary: someone comes into a residence with crime on his or her mind; either to steal or to commit some crime of violence against a person. This crime is one that can have a lasting effect of the fear of feeling invaded, or of vulnerability to strangers or to loss of privacy. Stevens County has […]

In a further effort to save some money, some members of the Washington legislature are proposing a bill that would virtually eliminate prison as a possibility for property crimes. Under the present system, the range of sentence that a person can get for a new or the current crime is based in part the defendant’s […]