After one jury deadlocked, King County prosecutors said they would not retry Marc and Elizabeth Hokoana, who were charged with assaulting protestor Joshua Dukes at a University of Washington event in January 2017. Yiannopoulos, a former Breitbart editor and outspoken conservative, was scheduled to speak on campus on Inauguration Day 2017. Emotions were high, as… Read More


Lennard A. Nahajski - Seattle criminal defense attorney

Between 2013 and 2017, hate crimes increased 22 percent nationally. But in Washington, these incidents skyrocketed 78 percent. Race accounted for 60 percent of these offenses. Most of the rest were either religion (21 percent) and sexual orientation (16 percent). Almost all of the hate crimes in Washington over that period were aggravated assaults. These… Read More


Washington State legalized recreational marijuana in 2012, and criminal penalties finally are catching up. According to a recent article in The Seattle Times, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed a bill pertaining to marijuana convictions. Once the new law takes effect, most people with misdemeanor marijuana convictions will be able to have those convictions erased. To… Read More


A recent report from the Anti-Defamation League confirmed what the FBI said last November. The number of hate crimes in Washington State increased dramatically in 2018. According to a national audit, anti-Semitic incidents in Washington increased 60 percent between 2017 and 2018. Hate crimes are up overall as well. According to the FBI report, race,… Read More


Citing risk of flight and the heinous nature of the allegations, prosecutors convinced a judge to increase Jeremy Shaw’s bail from $1 million to $2.5 million. According to court documents, Mr. Shaw bludgeoned a Boeing retiree to death in order to claim his house and land in an isolated area of King County. Prosecutors also… Read More


Lack of Evidence; The best defense in both police officer and civilian assault cases; although, other defenses include self-defense and defense of property. King County officials will not file charges against two former Seattle officers who poured numerous gunshots into a fleeing vehicle. In refusing to pursue the case, prosecutors cited Washington’s controversial malice requirement in police… Read More


When you cause a car accident, the law says you must remain at the accident scene. Otherwise, you could be charged with hit and run, which comes with serious penalties depending on the extent of the damage involved. It could be charged as a misdemeanor or felony. A Washington man is facing hit and run… Read More


Nobody is immune to the law—not even celebrities. Rapper Nelly, who was scheduled to perform in Washington on October 7, had a run-in with the law the morning of his concert. Police responded to a 911 call from a woman who claimed she was raped on the rapper’s tour bus. They found Nelly on his… Read More


If you are driving and end up in an accident, what are your responsibilities as a motorist? If you are uninjured, can you simply drive away and keep going to your destination?   When any type of accident occurs—whether it involves a pedestrian, bicycle, motorcycle or other vehicles—you must stop at the scene. If the… Read More