Why Washington Court Records are Available to the Public? In 1972, the Washington State Legislature passed a law named the Washington Public Records Act. This law enables the last changes in 2010 and aims to make sure disclosure of court records and other public records to the public. What Court Records Access Means To You? The law is similar to the Washington Open Meeting Law which legislates the methods by which public meetings are held. The Washington Public Records Act intent is that all records maintained by state and local government entities be available for public access and copying. Accountability to the Public When the legislature enacted Washington Public Records Act, it expressively declared that access to information about the conduct of the people’s business is a fundamental and necessary right of every person in this state, Public Records Act. Indeed, in Washington, access to the government and court records, in particular, a fundamental interest in citizenship and has emphasized that maxim disclosure of the conduct of governmental operations promoted by the act. By promoting prompt public access to government records, the Washington Public Records Act is to safeguard the government's accountability to the public. How the Washington Court Process Functions? Most cases in Washington courts begin in one of the 39 superior or trial courts in the state’s 39 counties. The next level of judicial authority resides with the Court of Appeals. Most cases before the Court of Appeals involves the review of a superior court decision being contested by a party involved in the case. The Supreme Court serves as the highest court in the state to check decisions of the Court of Appeals to settle important questions of law and to resolve conflicts among the Court of Appeals. Some differences between Civil Court and Small Claims Court below

A boutique practice focused on high quality legal representation for criminal defense and personal injury matters. In addition to auto accidents, Kirk places a special emphasis on representing victims in personal injury matters. He has successfully represented victims of sexual and physical assault.

Katya Stelmakh, Esq. is Founder and Managing Director of Stelmakh & Associates LLC immigration law firm. Ms. Stelmakh has 14 years of successful attorney experience in the field of business immigration law. She represents foreign workers, entrepreneurs, investors and their families in business and family immigration matters before the US Immigration Services, US Department of Labor, and US Consulates abroad. Ms. Stelmakh also counsels and trains employers and their HR personnel on immigration laws compliance and advises on cross-border travel and employee relocation. Prior to founding Stelmakh & Associates law firm in 2008, Ms. Stelmakh managed business immigration practice of an international law firm with offices in Philadelphia, Moscow, and Kiev. MS. Stelmakh started her legal career at the World Bank in Washington, DC, where she drafted loan and grant agreements with Russia and other countries. She received her J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and is a Member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).

The Law Firm of Jay H. Krulewitch is a law firm specializing in trial advocacy in the finest tradition of Clarence Darrow! Over the past 25 years, Jay H. Krulewitch has built an outstanding reputation as an experienced trial lawyer able to successfully represent persons on criminal matters as well as those injured by the negligence or careless actions of others in civil matters. On Civil Matters, the firms practice includes representing injured persons on a wide variety of matters, including the following types of cases: Personal injury cases Catastrophic Injury cases Brain Injury cases Automobile accidents Slip and Fall incidents Premises Liability cases Civil Rights Discrimination cases The Law Firm of Jay H. Krulewitch can also help with legal matters ranging from sexual harassment to drug crimes, felonies and homicide cases. In addition, the firm does handle quasi-criminal kinds of matters such as civil anti-harassment restraining orders and DV protection orders as well as witness representation. In all cases I offer a free telephone consultation to initially discuss your matter. Call The Law Firm of Jay H. Krulewitch today.

Mr. Krulewitch has labored in the trenches as a trial attorney for almost a quarter century in the Seattle-King County area. After Mr. Krulewitch became admitted to practice law in the State of Washington, from May 1988 to January 1995, he worked at The Defender Association as a staff attorney, working in the misdemeanor, felony, juvenile, and civil commitment divisions. During his time at The Defender Association, he handled hundreds of criminal cases and went to trial often, accumulating valuable experience as a trial practitioner, where he honed his skills and obtained many fine results for his clients. Mr. Krulewitch left the The Defender Association in 1995 and opened his own law practice as a sole practitioner. Over the past eighteen years in private practice, Mr. Krulewitch has handled a variety of criminal cases, personal injury cases, as well as police misconduct and civil rights cases, obtaining many great results on his cases. During his time in private practice, he has handled cases in King County, Snohomish County, Pierce County, Thurston County, Kitsap County, and Island County. Mr. Krulewitch enjoys handling cases throughout Western Washington, but especially in the Puget Sound Region. EDUCATION: JD - Juris Doctor - Drake University Law School - 1987 MA - Masters- Indiana University - 1982 BA - Bachelor of Arts - Washington University in St. Louis - 1979 BAR ADMISSIONS: Washington Bar - 1988 WORK EXPERIENCE: Public Defender Association (Staff Attorney) 1988 - 1995 ASSOCIATIONS: King County Bar Association (Member) Washington State Bar Association (Member) Washington Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys (Member) Washington State Association for Justice (Member) National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (N/A) AWARDS: BV Rated (Martindale-Hubbell) 2014 Order of the Barristers (Drake Law School) 1987 Drake Law Review (Drake Law School) 1987 Mock Trial Team, Member (Drake Law School) 1987 Midwest Moot Court Team (Drake Law School) 1986 PUBLICATIONS: Washington State Association for Justice Trial News (Nominal Damages Victory: Section 193 Police Misconduct Case Against Seattle Police Department Has Value In Teaching Police a Lesson About Important Limitations in Terry Stops) 2013 Drake Law Review (Anatomy of a Double Whammy: The Application of Rule 68 Offers and Fee Waivers of Civl Rights Attorneys' Fees under Section 1988) 1987 PRACTICE AREAS: Seattle Personal Injury Lawyer Seattle Criminal Defense Lawyer Seattle Civil Rights Lawyer Seattle Car Accident Attorney

Michael P. Sheehy is a top-rated criminal defense lawyer based in Lynnwood, WA and is dedicated to serving Snohomish County. Mr Sheehy is an ex-prosecutor and knows how the other side works. He comes up with the best strategies for his clients to produce a favorable outcome and also provides them with personalized strategies to stand a better chance of winning their cases. He also offers free case evaluations. He provides high-quality and aggressive representations for his clients and shows compassion towards them throughout their cases.

Lindsay & Lindsay Attorneys at Law is a family law firm serving the needs of clients in Bremerton, WA, Poulsbo, WA, Silverdale, WA, Port Orchard, WA. Our practice areas include divorce, guardianships, estate planning, probate, adoption, and paternities.

Defending DUIs, criminal charges, traffic tickets, driver licenses suspensions. Criminal record expungements / deletions. Auto accident injury insurance claims. Over 32 years experience.. Former Lynnwood City Prosecutor. Top attorney ratings by the national lawyer rating services: an "AV" rating by Martindale-Hubbell and a "10-Superb" rating Experienced Aggressive Affordable Convenient location Conveniently located next to the Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood, Washington. Free First Consultation Military $ discounts. Call for your free first consultation.

John works with 7 great lawyers. VSSF has grown from a 2 lawyer firm (Van Siclen & Stocks) to an 8 attorney firm consisting of lawyers who have an excellent reputation of highly competent, aggressive, and reasonable representation. This includes addressing most legal issues one could face: family law, criminal defense, police brutality, civil rights, employment & discrimination law, personal injury, wrongful death, malpractice, and other areas for individuals and businesses. VSSF can take on any opposition, and they often represent people over the course of their "legal life", addressing any legal issues or concerns that may arise. By getting results and closure, clients return to VSSF for help on a variety of issues. Some cases are simple, but most are very highly emotional and stressful for the client. For example, we handled a false arrest case by defending our client at a jury trial; the client was so relieved when the jury came back with a resounding "not guilty" verdict that he began to cry in relief. Later, he asked us to pursue a reverse civil lawsuit for violation of his civil rights and because of police misconduct, resulting in a settlement of six figures. Several years later, that same client got in a car accident and asked VSSF to address it (not his fault), settling the case promptly and for 4 times what the insurance company offered him. He then asked for Estate Planning help, and VSSF finished his Will and helped him incorporate his business. Same with Family Law: it can be emotional and difficult, and our goal at our law firm is to make any case (divorce, custody, child support) not only something that involves a finite, clear process that has closure, but puts a party back on his/her feet to pursue the rest of their lives. Also, Personal Injury cases can be painful for most clients who suffer catastrophic injuries (car accidents, wrongful death, malpractice, employment discrimination). Our goal is to focus on the legal issues while our clients do their best to heal. Studies show that a victim of a personal injury receive 3 times the normal settlement with insurance companies than those without a lawyer (studies done by the insurance defense bar). Criminal charges cause the most stress & at first, clients only see a dark and hopeless future. Our known success reaches back many years with a high percentage of not guilty acquittals. This causes prosecutors to offer better deals. Not all clients have multiple legal issues and focus must be on reducing them. VSSF makes sure that you feel comfortable coming in to the firm to ask about any issue involving the law.

James A. Jones, Attorney at Law, has been serving clients with elder law, estate planning and bankruptcy issues for more than 15 years. At our firm, our attorney focuses on looking at your entire financial picture and assisting you in creating the future you want, both for yourself and your family. More than a decade of legal experience, James A. Jones, Attorney at Law, in Tacoma, Washington, is here to help you with the serious and complex legal issues. For more information contact us.

Our traffic ticket and DUI defense lawyers handle cases across Western Washington from our Tacoma law firm location. We fight speeding tickets and other common traffic infractions, while also providing aggressive defense against DUI, reckless driving, and other criminal charges. Our traffic attorneys have a long history protecting CDL drivers, and we understand the urgency of keeping a ticket from impacting your career. We offer free consultations, so call our Tacoma lawyers for help today.

Ladenburg Law Injury Attorneys is family owned law firm of top rated personal injury attorneys. The Ladenburg name has become synonymous with justice in the Puget Sound region. For several decades they have been helping victims of car accidents, medical malpractice, and other serious injuries put their lives back together. By focusing the legal expertise only on injury claims, the Ladenburg lawyers have been able to obtain excellent result for clients. It is no surprise that many doctors, judges, and other lawyers refer their family and friends to Ladenburg Law after an injury. Based in Tacoma, Washington since 1974 the Ladenburg lawyers have deep roots to the local community. As a family owned business, they share the same values as their clients. They provide the level of service to each client as though they were a member of their family. Ladenburg Law's connection to their clients and community allows them to understand what is important to each client. Meeting each client goal is the also the goal of Ladenburg Law Injury Attorneys. Technology has allowed Ladenburg Law Injury Attorneys to provide the same level of service to clients throughout Washington State. With their state of the art software, each client is provided with unique access to their attorney included a case specific text number and email address. Each client can easily and confidential communicate with a Ladenburg lawyer with the touch of a button on their smart phone or computer. Now clients in Seattle, Olympia, Bremerton, Yakima, Spokane, and the rest of Washington can benefit from having top level service from the top rated personal injury attorneys at Ladenburg Law.

Wattel & York is a highly successful personal injury and property damage law firm in the United States, boasting more than 60 years of combined experience in litigation. We can help you with the following legal issues: personal injury, automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, boating injuries, slip and falls, product liabilities, dog bites, nursing home neglect cases, and diminished value claims. Our Phoenix, AZ injury lawyers pride themselves on being aggressive litigators who work hand-in-hand with clients to dictate the value of each individual case rather than let it be dictated by an insurance company.

We are a family law firm based in Tacoma & Seattle. So, if you’re going through a divorce or a family-related issue and have decided to hire an attorney, it can be incredibly overwhelming. It can take a lot of work to find the right one. The last thing you want to do when you’re dealing with such a sensitive matter is to be hunting for weeks or months for the right firm. At Whalley Law, we are dedicated to helping Pierce County residents attain the legal representation you deserve. At Whalley Law, we also provide legal services for military personnel. If you are considering filing for divorce while in the military, Attorney Jeffery Whalley can assist you. Our team can provide the legal guidance you need during a stressful time in your life.

We at Whalley Law focused on assisting our clients with expert legal advice to resolve their cases in a few hearings across the state of Washington. No matter how complex your case is we will help you to decide what action is best for your future. Discuss family matter, divorce case, child custody, or personal injury settlement.

The Law Offices of Briggs & Briggs is a Lakewood, WA personal injury law firm serving accident victims in the Lakewood, Tacoma, Olympia, Puyallup, Chehalis, and the Bremerton areas since 1952. Our firm is our client's trusted advocate to fight for the compensation they deserve to recover from their injuries. We offer 100% free consultations and you do not pay us a dime unless we recover for your injuries.

Matthew T Russell, attorney at Russell & Hill, PLLC, is dedicated to helping his clients get the results they need and want through the professional application of the law and the protections granted by the Constitution. His areas of practice include personal injury, criminal defense and Social Security disability. He is a member of the Washington State Bar Association; Oregon State Bar Association; Washington State Trial Lawyers Association; King and Snohomish County Bar Associations; and the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives. Mr. Russell earned his undergraduate degree, Magna Cum Laude, from Clemson University and his J.D. degree with Honors from Hamline University School of Law, where he was ELS President and served on the Journal of Public Law & Policy.

Sofia's extensive experience in personal injury cases has made her a leading attorney in Puyallup and Tacoma areas for accident victims and their families. Her hard work, dedication, and proven track record are the reasons why clients recommend Sofia to anyone who needs a legal representation in personal injury cases. If you have been injured as the result of another party’s negligence, contact Sofia K. Miguel today for a free consultation and learn more about how she can fight to get your fair compensation for your damages.