Remembering Fallen Police Officers
The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office (PAO) offers its deepest sympathy to the families and police family of slain Lakewood Police Officers Tina Griswold, Ronald Owens, Mark Renninger, and Gregory Richards.

PAO Obtains State's First Conviction Under Washington's Human Trafficking Law
The PAO obtained Washington State's first conviction under the state's Human Trafficking statute, which requires prosecutors to prove that the defendant caused a victim to engage in "forced labor" or "involuntary servitude" for the defendant's personal gain.

Drug Court Celebrations
King County Drug Diversion Court recently celebrated its 15th anniversary with a special Drug Court graduation and program, including remarks by Gil Kerlikowske, the Obama Administration's Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Youth Violence on the Rise
One measure for the increase in youth violence is the number of "automatic-adult jurisdiction" cases filed. State law requires filing in adult court against juvenile defendants who are 16 and 17 years old and who have been charged with violent crimes, usually involving guns.

Another "Cold Case" Solved
Since the PAO formed its Cold Case Unit five years ago, we have obtained 17 convictions on murders that defendants thought they had gotten away with. The latest involves a defendant named Robert Sauil Besabe.

CTI DPA Named Prosecutor of the Year
Congratulations to Senior DPA Shaya Calvo, who was recently named "Auto Theft Prosecutor of the Year" by the Governor's Washington State Auto Theft Prevention Authority (WATPA).

Repeat Burglar of the Month
The PAO's fight against repeat burglars -- known as the Repeat Burglar Initiative or "RBI" -- began in June of 2009, and has been paying off.

CASE UPDATES: December 2009
State v. Biel . . . State v. Lewis . . . State v. Moore . . . & other cases

Keeping Kids in School Is Our Best Crime Prevention Strategy
Seventy-five percent of all state prison inmates and 59% of federal inmates are high-school dropouts. Dropouts must compete for the lowest-paying jobs, and can expect to earn $260,000 less over a lifetime of work than high-school graduates.

CASE UPDATES: November 2009
State v. Apolo-Albino . . . State v. Rupe . . . State v. Singh . . . & other cases