The Spokane Police officer, who was suspended this week for two months after associating with a woman tied to prostitution, drugs and burglary, had been disciplined by the department twice before the latest incident. Police Chief Frank Straub suspended Officer Darrell Quarles on Monday for…
A man charged with sending a ricin-laced letter to a federal judge waived arguments today about why he should be released from jail pending charges. Matthew R. Buquet, 38, wore shaded glasses and sported a long beard during his 2 p.m. appearance before U.S. Magistrate…
Twelve-year-old Marshal Starbuck was called to testify about the death of his mom and what he remembers about the actions of Clay Starbuck on the day Marshal’s life got turned upside down. Day two of the first-degree murder trial of Clay D. Starbuck also featured…
The Washington State Supreme Court today overturned the second-degree rape conviction of a Spokane man, saying the trial judge violated the man’s right to a fair trial by including a jury instruction that the defense didn’t want. In the 6-3 decision, the state’s high court…
Embattled Spokane Developer Gregory Jeffreys will have to face 73 felony counts of fraud-related federal charges without the services of experienced defense attorney Mark Vovos. Vovos has filed a motion to withdraw from the case after initially representing Jeffreys in the first two hearings following…
Stevens County Prosecutors filed charging documents Tuesday detailing the allegations against woman charged last week with killing a man believed to be her half-brother in Colville. Deena L. Bailey, 49, remains held on a $1 million bond after she was arrested last Thursday on the…
A jury deadlocked today leading to a mistrial for a man facing the rare charge of intimidation of a judge. Timothy A. Hays, 50, had faced between 15 and 20 months in prison after he was charged with threatening Municipal Court Judge Michelle Szambelan on…
Appellate judges have upheld a civil judgment in favor of Spokane County after a jury ruled in 2011 that a deputy did not use excessive force during a traffic stop in 2006. Mary Schultz, the attorney for Daniel B. Strange, appealed several rulings by Superior…
A man, charged in a gang-related shooting in which a 6-year-old girl was hit in the foot, pleaded guilty today in Spokane County Superior Court. Abubakar Samura, 21, had been charged with two counts of first-degree assault following the March 4 shooting in the 1800…
In addition to revelations that Spokane Police detectives were feeding information about the Zehm investigation to Officer Karl F. Thompson, Jr., the grand jury testimony of Detective Jeff Harvey had several other insights into how the Spokane Police handled the case. Harvey was a vice…
While no charges have been filed, deputies continue to investigate the case of an estranged Spokane Valley husband who was shot in the knee today by a man who was living in his wife’s garage. Spokane Valley deputies responded at about 11 a.m. today to…
A man who just had three counts of aggravated murder dismissed against this week also had Spokane County charges dismissed as part of the same deal. Kevin Harper, 30, had been convicted of three counts of aggravated murder in Yakima County. But before he was…
The defense attorneys of former Spokane Police Officer Karl F. Thompson Jr. have blamed a faulty email program for missing the deadline last Friday to file any objections to the pre-sentence report that could become the last major legal battle prior to sentencing. Thompson was…
Recently filed court documents show how Spokane Police on Monday tracked down the man who has been charged with Oct. 1 shooting in which his girlfriend suffered a bullet wound to the face: They followed the family. Joshua D. Graham, 30 appeared Tuesday before Superior…
A con man whose schemes made victims out of dozens of people in three states was sentenced today to 29 months in prison. Superior Court Judge Jerome Leveque sentenced 60-year-old Ronald G. Stratton to the high end of the range after a jury convicted him…
A Spokane man, who said he was blinded by anger, remains in jail on a $20,000 bond after he admitted smashing out the windows of his ex-girlfriend’s car before he set it ablaze early Saturday morning. Matthew A. Radeck, 26, appeared Monday before Superior Court…
A sentence on Friday of 10 years likely ends any chance of John "Herb" Friedlund of ever seeing another sunrise as a free man. At 79, and in poor health, Friedlund also faces several felonies in federal court now that he has been convicted of…
A convicted sex offender from Chattaroy is being sought after a Spokane County Sheriff’s investigation alleges that he had been providing alcohol and drugs to juvenile females before groping them. Sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Craig Chamberlin said detectives raided the home of 42-year-old Leslie Morgan, who…
In what appears to be a case of she said/he ran, Spokane Valley Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 50-year-old man who was accused Thursday of breaking into a woman’s home. Deputies, who are contracted to provide police service in Spokane Valley, responded at about 11 a.m.…
When I interviewed Kevin Coe in prison in 2006, I noted in the May 21, 2006, article that Coe looked fit for a 59-year-old man. Coe later wrote me a letter saying: "I look fit for any age." But it appears his legal fight for…
A man charged with attempted second-degree murder in connection with a shot targeting three black youths was ordered held in jail Tuesday as federal authorities also indicated that they would investigate the shooting as a possible hate crime. Jimmy J. Blackburn, 29, pleaded not guilty…
A suspicious-person call ended up with a ride to the Spokane County Jail for a couple Sunday morning after the it was caught stealing items from an unoccupied home and placing them into a Subaru that was also stolen. Spokane Police officers Dave Kennedy and…
Washington State Patrol officials announced the unenviable position Thursday of acknowledging its search to replace retiring troopers has been slowed by applicants who made poor decisions with prescription drugs. “These candidates may have taken the drugs for legitimate medical conditions, and might well have been…
The court hearing was postponed Wednesday for Ryan Crocker, former ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan, who was charged last month with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident. Crocker did not appear before Spokane County District Judge Sara Derr. But his attorney, Julie Twyford,…
Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said Monday that he expects within days that detectives will complete and turn over to prosecutors the probe into last week's deputy-involved shooting. Deputies Aaron Childress and Eric Werner remain on paid administrative leave as Spokane Police detectives work to…
