News
Aug 21, 2024 - Blake Refund - Beyond Boundaries Preview: Washington Office of the Courts & Office of Public Defense
For this Beyond Boundaries interview, Robin Zimmermann from Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts and Chris Graves from Washington Office of Public Defense discuss the work they'…
Jul 29, 2024 - Family Reunification Month
Washington Courts Report - Episode 2: Family Reunification Month with Tonia McClanahan
Jul 25, 2024 - Reimagining How Cases End & Families Evolve
Shrounda Selivanoff and Tara Urs authored the linked article explaining the importance of new legislation that prioritizes resolving family dependency cases with guardianship instead of defaulting to…
Jul 25, 2024 - Love Does Not End
"If we leave the door open to change, we can welcome healing. But if we lock the doors, we deny ourselves the beauty of one another." Please read this touching story by our own Shrounda Selivanoff,…
Interim Seattle police chief Sue Rahr issued a directive this month clarifying that a 2021 state law doesn't stop police from questioning juveniles who witness crimes.
Why it matters:…
If law enforcement follows the law as it’s written, and as the prosecutor has told them to, we can protect vulnerable youth in police custody, writes the author.
Jun 10, 2024 - Freedom
Kimonti Carter (pictured here) was convicted of aggravated murder and received a mandatory life sentence without parole for this offense committed in 1997 when he was 18 years old. In 2021 the state…
This blog will address some frequently asked questions about how the revisions to the WSBA Standards affect Washington local governments.
The U.S. Constitution guarantees defendants a right to a speedy trial. In Washington, that means people arraigned on a criminal charge have to be brought to trial within two months if they are being…
Apr 1, 2024 - Public Defense Job Satisfaction
In light of the statewide shortage, OPD surveyed public defense attorneys to better learn what factors keep them in the field, what drive them away, and what steps can be taken to retain them. In…