Blog

No parent ever wants to discover that their family is the subject of a Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) investigation. The most common of these investigations are conducted by Child Protective Services. While... Read More

The highly publicized between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, rooted in their domestic violence allegations against each other, has finally come to an end. To the surprise of many, Amber Heard was found to have... Read More

Many sexual abuse accusations are presented through a criminal case. If the defendant is found guilty, these cases usually end with prison time for the accused. The defendant might also have to pay monetary restitution... Read More

In early April, the infamous trial in Virginia between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard began. It has captured the public’s attention like few others. And it’s little wonder why.  The litigants are well known Hollywood... Read More

In basic terms, the crime of voyeurism is essentially any type of spying or surveilling on another person who believes they have an expectation of privacy, for the purposes of sexual desire. It’s known as... Read More

Last year, the Washington State Legislature passed House Bill 1320, which was meant to simplify the protection order petition process for victims of domestic violence. Washington has six different types of protection orders (which some... Read More

Under Washington State law, there are a multitude of ways indecent liberties can be committed and even more ways a charge of indecent liberties can be defended against. The offense covers almost all unlawful sexual... Read More

In early August 2021, Apple released plans founded in good intentions to combat images of child sexual abuse on iPhones that almost immediately sparked heated criticism from technology and privacy experts worldwide. Following widespread criticism,... Read More

In January 2021, Jace Hambrick enjoyed his first meal as a free man with his mother at IHOP after serving nearly two years in prison. But his newfound freedom still came attached with a long... Read More

In late July 2021, former babysitter Terry McKirchy made headlines when she was indicted by a Broward County, Florida grand jury for first-degree murder 37 years after she was accused of forcibly shaking a baby.... Read More

Being accused of rape can lead to serious consequences. Any serious felony can lead to a lengthy prison sentence and merely facing a sexual assault charge can feel daunting, not knowing what damage to your... Read More

Recently the Marshall Defense Team had the opportunity to speak with Randall Karstetter, Chief Data Forensics Expert at Data Forensics Lab in Auburn, Washington. Mr. Karstetter has decades of experience in data forensics and has... Read More

If you’ve been accused of a sex offense, you’re probably frightened by the possible consequences affecting your future. One of the possible consequences is that you would be required to register as a sex offender.... Read More

If you’ve been accused of domestic violence against your spouse or child during the process of a contentious divorce, regardless of whether the allegations are true, you will need to know what effects these accusations... Read More

At the Marshall Defense Firm we’ve seen a disturbing new scam in recent months. These scammers prey upon persons who chat online about sexual matters with persons they’ve only met only online. Here’s a common... Read More

At its annual meeting this August, the American Law Institute (ALI) conclusively rejected a proposed “affirmative consent” provision that would have had a major impact on the sexual practices of millions of people. ALI is... Read More

So-called “rape shield” laws were designed to protect alleged victims of sex crimes during criminal proceedings. The laws limit the ability to introduce evidence or cross-examine rape complainants about their past sexual behavior. The parameters... Read More

A Snohomish chiropractor was arrested recently after a number of female patients reported he had “inappropriately” touched their breasts during clinic visits. So far, six patients have made allegations of sexual misconduct against the 61-year-old... Read More

In a recent story by Fox 29 in San Antonio, Seattle Police Department Sgt. Brandon James, who also serves as the assistant commander for Washington’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force, spoke about an “unprecedented”... Read More

Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) refers to a hypothesis developed in the 1970s that violently shaking an infant can cause serious brain injury. The hypothesis has never been scientifically validated, and as some in the medical and... Read More

In Washington, “domestic violence” is a term applying to a variety of different offenses. It can also be a label attached to a separately charged crime which will enhance the penalties of the underlying crime.... Read More

While official 50-state data for 2020 won’t be available for several more months, top officials overseeing child welfare at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently said they’ve seen no solid evidence to... Read More

There are few surer ways for politicians to please voters than to propose to crack down on sex offenders—no matter how much cracking down has already been done. We see this again in the current... Read More

When it comes to sexual encounters, consent can sometimes be a hard thing to navigate. Unfortunately, on-screen portrayals of sex sometimes further muddy the waters and reinforce common misconceptions about consent. One prominent example comes... Read More