By Stevens County Prosecuting Attorney Tim Rasmussen
Washington’s privacy act, chapter 9.73 RCW, is “one of the most restrictive electronic surveillance laws ever promulgated,” significantly expanding the minimum standards of its federal counterpart and offering a greater degree of protection to Washington residents. So said our Supreme Court in a case called Roden, 179 Wn.2d at 898.

Everyone appreciates privacy, but some people in this state, (perhaps criminals, or at least one criminal) appreciate it more than most of us.
This are the facts as reported in an opinion from Division II of the Court of Appeals called, State vs John Garrett Smith, released on October 4, 2016.
Here are the facts as reported in the case. More

By Stevens County Prosecutor Tim Rasmussen
Lots of hate crimes now? There is a lot more reporting of things that could be hate crimes, that is for sure, but is there really more hate crimes? I agree there is more fear in the world and more fear translates into more distress. More distress means less tolerance generally, and less tolerance means more crime and violence, so I guess the answer is yes there are more crimes based on hate these days than in the past.

But, is a crime that is based on hate, a worse crime than one based on greed or perversion or jealousy? Is the harm greater because one person assaults another for fooling around with a spouse or because they want to steal, than if one person assaults another because of his race, religion, gender or other basis? There is certainly an argument that the injury to the victim is the same. Our various states have grappled with the issue when they have enacted hate crime laws and try to figure how they ought to be punished. More

Here are court records from the Oct. 6 edition of The Chewelah Independent.  More

By Brandon Hansen/The Independent Staff

Washington Department Fish and Wildlife staff lethally removed one male from the Profanity Peak Pack on Friday, Sept. 30, raising the number of wolves killed to seven.
Since July 8, the state agency has documented a total of 14 attacks on livestock, including nine confirmed kills and five probable kills.

“We confirmed the most recent depredation earlier this week,” WDFW wolf policy lead Donny Martrello said. “Given this pattern, we do not believe we have achieved the goal of stopping depredations in the near future.” More

By Jamie Henneman/The Independent Staff

A man who tried to harm a Kettle Falls Inn owner and his family, calling them “terrorists,” wants a second competency exam after Eastern State Hospital doctors found him competent to stand trial.

Brandon Kenneth Leon Kilgore, 28, broke into the Kettle Falls Inn on July 9, calling owner Preet Moudgil a “terrorist” and threatening to kill Moudgil and all his family. Moudgil was able to hold off Kilgore and called 911 while Kilgore tried doors and windows of the attached apartment, trying to get inside. Moudgil’s parents and a three-year old child were home at the time. Kilgore eventually climbed onto the roof and entered through a sliding glass door, holding a knife and shoving Moudgil. Moudgil warned Kilgore that he had a pistol and told him to stop, according to the police report. At that time, Kettle Falls Police Officers arrived at the Inn and took Kilgore into custody. More