Space Law Probe

Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon, 51, who was both a University of Washington and a Seattle Seahawks QB, plead guilty to the reduced charge of negligent driving, for his arrest on suspicion of a Washington DUI on December 28, 2007. 

Moon was arrested by Medina police and refused field-sobriety tests and a breathalyzer test.  He was charged with his WA State DUI at the Kirkland Municipal Court.  Judge Michael Lambo sentenced Moon to a 90-dail jail term, with 88-days suspended and a $1,000 fine, with $500 of that suspended.

Moon will either serve two days in jail or five days of electronically monitored home detention.  In addition, he was placed on two years of probation and was ordered not to consume alcohol for 24 months.  Moon obviously retained an experienced Seattle DUI attorney to assist him, which was very smart.

Moon, who quarterbacked the Husky football team to a Rose Bowl victory in 1978, is currently a member of the Seahawks’ radio broadcast team. In the next few days, it is expected that Moon will have a press statement or a news conference regarding his legal issues.

It is not known yet if he will be subject to a review hearing at the Northeast District Court, for violating his probation on a negligent driving conviction from an arrest in April of 2007.

Looks like Cell Phone laws in the State of Washington are going to get stricter – Especially for the non-voting population….

The House approved a measure which will bar 16 & 17 year olds from using a cell phone in any manner – whether it is for calls or texts.  These would be considered primary offenses which mean you can be pulled over for it.  A good Washington State traffic attorney should be able to help you if you have been issued on of these citations.  But it remains to be seen how this law will be enforced.

Additionally, texting at any age would also become a primary offense.  Again, however, it remains to be seen how Washington law enforcement will implement practices to enforce this law.  I mean, how will an officer know if someone is texting or just looking down at their phone.

Another critical question now is what will happen if someone is pulled over only for talking on a cell phone but turns out to be older than 17? 

We now have to wait to see if the Senate will agree with the house.  Stay tuned.

So, on March 3, 2010, US District Court Judge Coughenour dismissed the well known lawsuit regarding traffic-camera tickets in the state of Washington.  This was a bit of a shock to all Washington traffic attorneys.

It is disappointing that the Court did not look closely at the legislative intent when permitting Washington State traffic camera tickets.  The legislature intended for the tickets to be in the $25 to $40 range – like a parking ticket – not in the $101 to $124 range.  Obviously, these tickets are in place to generate money for the cities, and the cities are going to fight hard to keep this money. 

Supposedly, each ticket has to be reviewed by the contracted company followed by a City Officer.  I am skeptical that this is truly done with every Washington traffic ticket issued through the camera laws.  I have seen several tickets that never should have been filed, i.e. an ambulance with its flashing lights on going through a red light.