Kratom vs. Gas Station Heroin

For years we've seen Kratom products on the convenience store counters of our more rural areas here in Washington but recently - and it might be anecdotal for me here in Seattle - we're seeing it pop-up in our dry bottle shops and boutique "lifestyle" beverage stores as well.  Some recent pieces in the San Francisco Chronicle and other publications have raised the alarm when comes to both Kratom products and those derived from 7-OH (or what we call "gas station heroin").  Having access to synth drugs at the convenience store isn't a new concept.  I remember back in 2007ish when I lived in North Carolina, many of the gas stations in my neighborhood sold Spice or some other synth drug right next to the hangover cures, Doublemint Gum, and snake oil ED pills.  What's important to note here is that these products are mostly unregulated and the labels shouldn't even be trusted.  Here's a great piece in the Free Press about the battle between the Kratom lobby and the 7-OH lobby for market share and the noise obscuring the potential health effects of each.  Roadside convenience doesn't equal roadside safety.

Read the Article HERE

ACCESS THE REGISTRATION LINK HERE

Join state TSRP, Bradley Lane, for his biannual update on recent legislation and case law developments which might affect impaired driving litigation and investigations here in Washington state.  Brad routinely presents this update to many audiences throughout the state from impaired driving enforcers, prosecutors, political appointees, and executive-level impaired driving stakeholders.  This event is hosted by your State Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor, Bradley Lane, the Seattle City Attorney's office, the WA Traffic Safety Commission and is pending-eligible for WSBA CLE credit.

This is virtual event (unless you're present at SCAO) - you will receive the TEAM's webinar link upon successful event registration

DOWNLOAD YOUR FALL 2025 NEWSLETTER HERE

IN THIS EDITION:

• Your New DUI Bench Book is Out!
• Can You Get a DUI on That?
• Upcoming Training Opportunities & National Webinar Series
• Proximate Cause in the Deliberative Process
• Updates from our Law and Justice Partners
• Resources and Manuals

Enjoy!

Brad & Michelle

The newest edition of the DUI Bench Book is now available for download in the Manuals and Resources section of this website. Here is a link to a copy. Many thanks to Judge Portnoy and all of the contributing authors who put this resource together for our use. Please reach out to Brad and Michelle if you need anything and do not forget to register for Fall DUI Bootcamp in lovely Yakima County Oct 6-10, 2025.  

State v. Sliger (103563-2) - Supreme Court Oral Argument Announcement

*The Mouth Check Case from Div-III*

For the first time in a long time, one of our Breath Test prima facie foundation cases is up before the state supreme court and this *hopefully* clarifies what a compliant mouth check looks like.  If you've attended one of my case law updates over the past year, you've heard me lecture on this case from Division-III.  What happens when your officer conducts a mouth check with BOTH the verbal and visual methods and gets conflicting information?  What happens when the breath test is administered even though the suspect has "strands of tobacco" lodged in his teeth?  We all know that studies show that this won't affect the test and our BrAC Tech, Trooper John Axtman, testified that it "wouldn't give him any heartache" - Division-III agreed with us but the defendant persists.

This one is worth a watch and hopefully it'll give us some jurisprudence to point to on this issue.  My slide on the Div-III opinion is below.

Cheers!

Brad & Michelle

National Night Out is August 5th - join in your neighborhood festivities.

This national event, supported by local law enforcement agencies, aims to raise awareness about crime prevention, foster community support in combating crime, and strengthen neighborhood bonds. In Seattle, the Seattle Police Department's Crime Prevention unit plays a key role in promoting this initiative.

In my neighborhood, we come together by blocking off the streets, firing up the barbecues, and enjoying activities like street hockey. It's a wonderful opportunity to connect with neighbors and show solidarity in promoting crime prevention efforts.

To find the nearest National Night Out event in your area, reach out to your local law enforcement officials. If you're in Seattle, you can check out the event map provided by the Seattle Police Department's Crime Prevention team here: https://www.seattle.gov/police/crime-prevention/night-out

Join us for a night of community building and law enforcement awareness. Let's make our neighborhoods safer and stronger together!

-Brad & Michelle

The 2025 TSRP Lethal Weapon beings Monday 7/28 at 1pm at the Kirkland PD!  While Michelle and I iron-out the fine details (like who brings the doughnuts), feel free to peruse the new faculty line-up and the agenda!

FACULTY LINE-UP

LETHAL WEAPON AGENDA

Effective Sept 1 - new rule amendment proposed by defense organizations removes the language "materially affect the accused's right to a fair trial" from the CrR 8.3/CrRLJ 8.3 rule. The amendment further adds factors for the court to consider in such a motion. This will dramatically increase the number of motions to dismiss criminal cases based on every conceivable procedural irregularity going forward.

See the changes in the order amending rule here

-Brad and Michelle

The Supreme Court adopted some rule changes proposed by defense organizations, including changes to preliminary hearings and arraignment timelines. This means some offices will need to change procedures for filing in custody cases and arraignment dates. See the order amending the rules here:  https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rule_related_orders/orders/25700-A-1653.pdf  

Brad and Michelle

Summer Newsletter is available HERE. We have important legal updates in this issue as well as upcoming trainings and current THC testing emerging science, CHECK IT OUT!

IN THIS EDITION:

• Justice Served in faller Trooper Vehicular Homicide Trial

• Hot Topics in Case Law & Legislative updates

• Upcoming training opportunities & national webinar series

• Target Zero Emphasis Patrols  

• Updates from our Law and Justice Partners

• Resources and Manuals