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Tagged: law

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State Government
9:00 am
Fri March 22, 2013

Ask State Attorney General Bob Ferguson

Credit Courtesy/Washington State Attorney General Office
State Attorney General Bob Ferguson.
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Last November, Bob Ferguson became Washington state’s 18th attorney general. One of the biggest issues he faces is how the federal government will approach legalized marijuana in Washington state. Ferguson met with Attorney General Eric Holder in January and so far, a clear policy has yet to emerge. Ferguson says if legalized marijuana is challenged by the feds, he'll defend it. What questions do you have for Attorney General Bob Ferguson? What should his priorities be? Call us at 800.289.5869 or email weekday@kuow.org.

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Science & Technology
2:06 pm
Wed March 20, 2013

Forensic Advances Raise New Questions About Old Convictions

Next imagePrevious image
Credit Courtesy of Jan Stiglitz
After a forensic dentist used software to correct a distortion in the image a decade later, the original expert witness recanted his testimony.
Credit Courtesy of Jan Stiglitz
A jury convicted Richards after a photo of what was thought to be a bite mark on the victim's hand was submitted as evidence at trial.
Credit Courtesy of the California Innocence Project/California Western School of Law
An undated photo of William Richards. After several trials, he was convicted of killing his wife in 1997.
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Originally published on Wed March 20, 2013 4:48 pm

Advances in forensic technology are showing that what used to be considered clear-cut proof of guilt may be nothing of the kind. A California case highlights a growing problem facing courts: what to do when an expert witness changes his mind because of better science and technology.

William Richards was convicted of brutally murdering his wife and is serving 25 years to life. The evidence against him was mostly circumstantial and two different juries were unable to reach a verdict. A third trial was aborted because the judge recused himself.

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Push For Background Checks
7:56 am
Fri March 15, 2013

Gun Control Advocates Regroup After Legislative Defeat

Credit Amy Radil
Rev. Sandy Brown says gun control advocates may go to voters since legislators rejected universal background checks.
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Gun control advocates are regrouping this week. They’re looking at their options, now that a bill to broaden background checks for gun sales failed in the Washington Legislature. They want to seize a moment when they believe public sentiment is on their side.

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Innocence Project
12:30 pm
Wed February 13, 2013

Bill To Compensate Innocent Who Spend Time Behind Bars

Credit Ric Feld / AP Photo
Robert Clark opens donated Christmas presents at the Innocence Project's offices in Atlanta in 2005. It's Clark's first Christmas in the free world since he was exonerated of a rape charge by DNA evidence and released from prison.
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Yesterday in Olympia the House Judiciary Committee passed a bill that would compensate people who served time in prison for crimes they didn’t commit and were exonerated of. The exonerated people would be given $50,000 for each year spent behind bars. This isn’t the first time this legislation has been proposed but it is the first time that it has bipartisan support. Ross Reynolds takes a closer look at the bill and who it's intended to help.

Language
12:20 pm
Thu February 7, 2013

Does Changing State Law To Use Gender Neutral Wording Matter?

University of Washington Sociolinguist Crispin Thurlow
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Washington state is in the process of changing the language in state law to make it more gender neutral. Policemen are now police officers, for instance, and freshmen will become first-year students. Supporters say the change is needed because language matters. Critics say the changes are a waste of money. Ross Reynolds interviews University of Washington Sociolinguist Crispin Thurlow, and we take your phone calls.

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