The Anatomy of a DUI Trial
Are you or do you know someone who's facing a DUI trial? Find out step-by-step what goes down — from picking a jury to waiting for the final verdict.
Beware of Phone Scams and Know Your Rights
From phone scams claiming there's an arrest warrant out for you to how a MIP can affect the whole family to the new DUI-E law, Jonathan and Dillon discuss current legal issues that pertain to you.
DUI-E Is Now In Effect
Driving under the influence of electronics — a new law that pertains to cell phone use in the car. Listen as Jonathan and Dillon breakdown and explain how this new law effects us.
In Response to a Listener's Email: Defending Rights within the Bounds of the Law
Many of us wonder why defense lawyers do what they do when we perceive their clients as having done something bad and therefore deserve the punishment. But as we've seen around the country recently, law enforcement is fallible, and there's usually more to the story, including preserving rights of citizens.
A Recent Court Decision Further Erodes the Rights of DUI Accused Citizens
Due to a recent court decision, law enforcement officers no longer have to advise you you're entitled to independent blood testing in the event of a DUI arrest, further eroding the rights of DUI accused citizens.
Breath Testing DUI Implications in Washington State from Massachusetts Litigation
Two years ago, Washington State switched to the Draeger breath testing machine — a machine now being questioned for it's accuracy in Massachusetts. The implications for Washington state abound.
The Proposed DUI Law Changes for 2017
Once again, lawmakers have been at it — amending and adding to current Washington State DUI laws. Jonathan and Dillon discuss the proposed changes for 2017 in this double episode.
How Judges Decide on Sentences in DUI Convictions
When it comes to sentencing in a DUI conviction case, there are minimums and maximums that judges are constrained to. Dillon and Jonathan talk about the Smith vehicular homicide case and how the sentencing decision was reached.
Should Distracted Driving by Electronics Be Treated Like a DUI?
Driving Under the Influence of Electronics Act is a new proposed law in Olympia to combat distracted driving and treat it like a DUI. Is it feasible and where do you draw the line as car technology advances?
A DUI Attorney Tries for False Positives on Alcohol Monitoring Devices
Alcohol monitoring devices (like ignition interlock devices) are not foolproof. Or are they? One DUI attorney puts them to the test with many commonly used excuses by those being monitored.
The Facts of the Recent Vehicular Homicide Trial in Whatcom County
A Whatcom County vehicular homicide trial wrapped in court recently. DUI attorney Jonathan Rands and KGMI's Dillon Honcoop discuss the details of the case and the evidence that was presented to the jury who ultimately found the defendant guilty.
The Controlled Chaos that is a Court Trial
From the outside, court trials look very regimented. But anyone with inside knowledge knows it's more like controlled chaos. DUI attorney Jonathan Rands talks with KGMI's Dillon Honcoop about the realities of court trials.
The Scoop on Ignition Interlock Devices
What's the story with ignition interlock devices? Well, like most things law, it depends. Not only can courts order them as a part of pretrial or post-trial convictions, the DoL also requires them to get your license reinstated. Find out all the gritty details in this episode of the Legal Docket with Dillon Honcoop and DUI attorney Jonathan Rands.
To Go to Trial Or Not Go to Trial
In this week's Legal Docket, DUI attorney Jonathan Rands and KGMI's Dillon Honcoop discuss different scenarios of when going to trial, a legal right, makes sense, and when to take a deal.
Up Close and Personal: What It's Like to be a DUI Attorney
In response to a recent blog post by a fellow attorney, DUI attorney Jonathan Rands talks with Dillon Honcoop about what it's really like to be a criminal defense lawyer and how the stress of his job affects his personal life, especially when the case may not get the outcome everyone hopes for.
When a Cadet is Involved in a DUI Stop, the Game Changes
We all have to start somewhere when we're new on a job. But what happens when a cadet in training is handling your DUI stop and possible arrest? DUI attorney Jonathan Rands talks with KGMI's Dillon Honcoop about the situation and how he approaches trials when there's a cadet involved.
Second Offense DUI Arrests in Bellingham Now Being Sent to Yakima County Jail
In last week's episode, DUI attorney Jonathan Rands and KGMI's Dillon Honcoop talked about the overcrowding at Whatcom County's jail. This week they discuss the new procedure of sending second offense DUI arrests to Yakima County jail and the impacts that has on one's life.
The Debate Over First Time DUI Offenders and If They Need to Be Booked Into Our Overcrowded Jail
Whatcom County jail is overcrowded and Sheriff Bill Elfo has called for booking restrictions. In this episode of The Legal Docket, DUI attorney Jonathan Rands and KGMI's Dillon Honcoop talk about first time DUI offenders and do they really need to be booked into jail or can sending them home help with the overcrowding situation.
Whereas Refusing a Breath Test Implies Consciousness of Guilt
There's a double standard when it comes DUIs and exercising your rights. Refusing a breath test implies consciousness of guilt, whereas pleading the 5th and exercising your right to not incriminate yourself does not. DUI attorney Jonathan Rands and KGMI's Dillon Honcoop discuss related cases.
Field Sobriety Test. It's a seizure, but is it also a search?
Are field sobriety tests considered searches? What happens if the toxicologist who had a hand in the solution used during your breath test doesn't show up to testify in court? Can an officer watching a drug house stop and search you after seeing you enter an exit the house? DUI Attorney Jonathan Rands and KGMI's Dillon Honcoop discuss three recent cases that cover these questions. Listen to the podcast to hear the courts' decisions and how it might affect you.
Listen to a First Hand Experience of Someone Who's Been Arrested for DUI
Tracy Ellis, colleague of Dillon Honcoop and client of DUI attorney Jonathan Rands, opens up and shares his experience of being arrested for DUI, and all the emotions, headaches and details that go along with it.
It's Memorial Weekend, Which Means More Cars and More Cops on the Road
Memorial Day—the unofficial start of summer in the U.S. It means higher gas prices, more cars on the road and an increased awareness around public safety campaigns such as the left lane camping, click it or ticket, and DUI. This weekend DUI attorney Jonathan Rands and Dillon Honcoop talk statistics, traffic law and Dillon's speeding ticket.
Marijuana and Roadside Tests. Scientific or Anecdotal?
Marijuana. The State needs a way to regulate it, but is treating it the same way as alcohol by creating an arbitrary limit and using the same roadside test the best way to go about it? There have been countless studies that show that people become affect by alcohol at 0.08, but can we say the same for 5ng of marijuana? DUI attorney Jonathan Rands and Dillon Honcoop discuss the different ways the roadside tests are designed to make you fail.
Deferred Prosecution: When is it the right course of action?
Deferred prosecutions, in it's most basic definition, is a program that you enter after being charged with a DUI where you exchange treatment and good behavior for a dismissal of a DUI charge. The caveat, as of 1999, you can only do it once in a lifetime, and the evaluator has to determine you suffer from the disease of alcoholism. DUI attorney Jonathan Rands and Dillon Honcoop discuss when you might want to take this course of action and what that would look like for your case.
The Devastating Effects of Immigration Status Due to a DUI Arrest
A DUI conviction, or being accused of driving under the influence, can be so much more devastating to someone who is a legal immigrant to the US rather than a citizen. Immigration laws in this country are precarious, and Immigration can decide to deport someone here on a green card if they find you're not complying with the law. Not only that, a DUI charge can prevent someone from even being able to cross the Canadian border. DUI attorney and brand new citizen of the US, Jonathan Rands and Dillon Honcoop discuss immigration laws with regards to DUI.
Is the Current "Left Lane Camping" Really Another DUI Campaign?
A large percentage of the time, a DUI violation starts as a traffic infraction, such as left lane camping, or driving in the left lane for too time. Let's be honest, we can be lazy about our driving, and when we are, especially at night, traffic enforcers use our laziness as red flags for DUI and Reckless Driving stops. A new campaign in Whatcom County is focusing on left-hand lane campers to remind drivers that we should all keep right except to pass.
How DUI Arrests are Contributing to Overcrowding in Whatcom County Jail
The Whatcom County Jail is overcrowded, but solutions to fix it have not been forthcoming. The DUI realm is contributing to that by being the only county in the state to have mandatory booking for a first offense, and if you're booked into jail on Friday, you don't see a judge until Sunday.
The point behind the law was to prevent an offender from immediately turning around and driving again. However, there is a mandatory impound law as well, so why does a person also need to be booked? DUI attorney Jonathan Rands and Dillion Honcoop discuss some statistics and how space can be saved in the jail.
A New Medical Marijuana Patient Registry to Start July of 2016
Medical marijuana laws are changing. Effective July 1, 2016, anyone who owns a dispensary will need to require patients to register. And if a patient will not register voluntarily, the dispensary will have to do it for them. Not only that, but medical marijuana patients as part of this registry will also have to disclose vehicle titles and license plates. And it doesn't stop there. All law enforcement officers will have access to medical marijuana patients registration numbers and names via license plates. There is great potential for misuse of this information under the guise of DUI enforcement.
Restitution: Making a Victim Whole Again After Property of Personal Damage
When is it worth paying restitution for property loss and when is it not? DUI Jonathan Rands talks about making the victim whole again after property damage or personal injury through restitution hearings.
Washington Traffic Laws: How a new law can effect you
This week, Bellingham DUI attorney, Jonathan Rands, discusses a new traffic law proposed in Washington.