“Drive Hammered, Get Nailed” is a Lie; False Advertising

Law enforcement agencies in the State of Washington adopted, “Drive Hammered, Get Nailed” as a DUI ad campaign slogan. In part this is a lie. “Drive hammered, get nailed” sends an improper message to the citizenry of Washington State. Washington State does not enforce a Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) criminal law. Washington enforces a [...]

Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton’s Funeral Procession

November, 6, 2009 – Seattle, Washington. Today the Seattle Police Department and the Brenton family paid respects to their fallen colleague and loved one Timothy Brenton. Brenton’s colleagues and family were not alone with this sorrowful task. Hundreds of officers from other jurisdictions were there with them. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend his public [...]

How Seattle DUI Police Officers Detect Impaired Drivers

Washington State law enforcement and particularly the Seattle DUI Squad are highly trained at detecting which drivers are impaired while driving.  Extensive DUI detection training teaches a police officer to observe the following cues when a suspect vehicle is in motion. These cues encompass just about any situation while driving:
* A moving violation;
* An equipment [...]

How Washington Police Officers Detect Impairment from Contact

Once a Washington police officer has pulled you over they are trained to make certain observations relevant for a DUI arrest while directly interacting with the driver. The initial contact is critical for the driver and the police officer. Based upon certain observations the driver might be heading to the police station instead of continuing [...]

Jury Selection For A Washington State DUI Jury Trial

Jury selection is a critical for a DUI jury trial. Evidence of impairment from intoxicants or drugs can be quite subjective. Many DUI cases will not involve CSI like evidence. Most of the evidence is left up to interpretation by the investigating police officer. Selecting the right jurors can determine whether one side will win [...]

Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton Killed in the Line of Duty

Seattle, Washington – October 31, 2009. Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton was murdered in his parked patrol car on Halloween night. The shooting occurred at 29th and Yesler Way in the Leschi neighborhood. Brenton was a field training officer and had rookie Britt Sweeney in his squad car. Sweeney ducked during the initial hail of [...]