Attorney Blog

Retired Seattle Policeman Charged With Killing Estranged Wife

mbk@mollybkenny.com (Blog Author)27274 — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST

A woman was returning to her former home to collect belongings when her former husband shot her and then himself. The week before, the man had requested a restraining order saying requesting that his ex-wife not be allowed back to the couple’s large home in a gated community.

Police say that the retired Seattle Police officer, 59-year-old Ted Richardson, shot his estranged wife, 52-year-old Susan Richardson, and then himself. A friend of Susan’s waited outside in the driveway during the shooting and called 911 when she heard shots fired. She told authorities that a fight had broken out after Susan had entered the house to get her things.

This was the second marriage for both parties and they did not have children together though they both had children from previous marriages. The handgun used in the crime was owned by Ted and kept in the house. The couple had been separated for several months after Ted had filed for divorce.

Study: States With Same-Sex Marriage Bans Also Have Higher Divorce Rates

mbk@mollybkenny.com (Blog Author)26687 — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST

Could Washington have a lower divorce rate because of the state's same-sex union laws? A new study says yes. Nate Silver has analyzed years of data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and found that over the last five years, states that have instituted a constitutional ban on same-sex marriages have a divorce rate 8 percent higher than states that do not have constitutional bans.

In addition, Massachusetts, the state with the lowest divorce rate nationally, also allows gays to legally marry, while the next three states with the lowest divorce rates do not have constitutional amendments stating that marriage is between a man and a woman.

Silver admits that the pattern shows correlation but not causation – the differences may be caused by other aspects that often separate these states, such as economy, religion, politics, and culture. However, the study is interesting in that it may take away from the argument that gay marriages somehow devalue heterosexual marriages.

Seattle Temporary Housing Options for Domestic Violence Victims

mindy@fosterwebmarketing.com (Blog Author)25892 — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST

Once you make the courageous decision to leave an abusive spouse or partner, it can be overwhelming. You may not know where to turn for help or where you and your children will live. The City of Seattle has programs to help survivors of domestic violence get back on their feet and put together a plan of action.

The City of Seattle has various housing options, including enriched housing, temporary hotel stays and transitional housing. Enriched housing is a short-term answer for women and children with nowhere else to go. Domestic violence advocates are available at these homes to help with creating a safety plan and securing long-term housing.

Sometimes a domestic violence victim has to get out of her house quickly, which is why hotel vouchers are offered through the city. Victims can stay up to 2 weeks in a hotel, while they determine where they will live.

Transitional housing is the solution for women who can’t locate affordable housing, but can’t return home due to safety concerns. Women and children can stay for up to two years in these homes.

You are not alone. A Seattle domestic violence lawyer from the Law Offices of Molly B. Kenny can help you. Contact the law firm at (206) 381-0100 for more information.

What's the Difference Between Annulment and Divorce?

mindy@fosterwebmarketing.com (Blog Author)25840 — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST

When you are looking at the end of your marriage, you probably have a lot of questions. You are at the point where you know that you will not be able to reconcile, but you don’t know your best option. Many couples are confused regarding the differences between annulment and divorce. Both processes will end a marriage in Washington, but they are not the same.

An annulment is a legal procedure that dissolves a marriage. If a marriage is annulled, it means that it is nullified from its inception. An annulment applies when there is some legal defect that keeps the marriage from being valid.

Most people are already familiar with the legal process known as divorce. With a divorce, the marriage is terminated because it has been deemed “irretrievably broken.” Either spouse can pursue this legal option to end the marriage. During the divorce process, family support, child custody and the allocation of assets and liabilities will be determined.

If you have chosen to purse a divorce or annulment, you should contact a Seattle divorce lawyer at the Law Offices of Molly B. Kenny at (206) 381-0100. The law firm will be able to walk you through the process and ensure that your interests are protected. The divorce attorneys at the law firm make children a priority.

For more information on this topic, read the article, Three Ways Marriages Are Ended in Washington.

US Divorce Rate At Lowest Since 1970

rlhewett@mollybkenny.com (News Author)13161 — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST

When you think about celebrity marriages, political scandals involving adultery, and other aspects of today’s society, you might think that divorce rates are rising every day. However, that is not nearly the case according to recent studies. In fact, divorce rates in America are at 40-year lows and near the rate of 1950’s-era marriages.

It is a misconception that half of all marriages end in divorce. Currently, about 68 percent of marriage last for at least ten years and those who are marrying today have an 80 percent chance of success. Why are the numbers so high right now? Many believe that people are waiting longer to get married and that more couples are getting pre-marital counseling. The highest rate of divorce are among those who married in the 1970s, perhaps because the women’s movement disrupted traditional ideas and the general idea of family.

While watching movies, reality TV, and gossip channels make cheating seem like a huge issue in marriages, adultery affects only one out of five marriages – and half of those marriages work through the cheating.

A few demographics have higher instances of divorce. Those who marry in their teens are more likely to get divorced. Those who are born-again Christians are more likely to get divorce. And those who live in the South are more likely to get divorced. Low divorce rates have been recorded for those with more education, those with agnostic backgrounds, and those who wait until their late 20s or early 30s to marry.

Seattle Affair Splits Cheryl and Ashley Cole; Lawyers Discuss Assets

rlhewett@mollybkenny.com (News Author)13065 — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST

After an alleged affair with a woman in Seattle, United Kingdom celebrity couple Cheryl and Ashley Cole have filed for divorce. Now many are speculating on the division of property for this high-powered couple who share millions in assets.

The high-profile couple married three-and-a-half years ago. Despite their individual fortunes, Cheryl said that she found the idea of a prenuptial agreement “disgusting,” because they would be together for the rest of their lives. Now, however, her decision to skip an agreement before marriage may cost her during the divorce.

Ashley, a musical artist and famous television personality in England separated from her husband this week after information surfaced regarding a Seattle, Washington, affair her soccer star husband allegedly had during a pre-season football game in the United States. The other woman, Ann Corbitt, went to the media after the short-lived relationship.

Many divorce lawyers are speculating on how their assets will be divided in the divorce settlement – a short marriage that does not involve children could mean both parties walk away keeping only what they had when they were wed. It may be that their attorneys will split the assets they earned as a couple during their marriage. Both have earned millions of pounds each during the marriage.

The couple jointly owns a mansion in Surrey worth an estimated 6 million pounds, though rumor says that Ashley is planning a move in the near future to Italy.

Serial Domestic Abuse Offender Found Guilty In King County

rlhewett@mollybkenny.com (News Author)13038 — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST

Most of those charged with domestic abuse do not have a long history of similar charges. But recently King County arrested and charged a serial domestic abuse offender after years of violence toward the women in his life.

The violence against his wife and the mother of his two children allegedly started in 2000, with a string of physical and emotional abuse even while she was pregnant. The woman put up with the abuse, not reporting it or else recanting her testimony, for several years before finally filing a complaint.

The man, Dion Earl Johnson, was featured on “Washington’s Most Wanted.” Not long after he was charged with five different felony violations of a domestic violence court order, felony domestic violence harassment, two counts of tampering with a witness, and bail jumping. The domestic violence assaults included a November 2008 incident at a doctor’s office when his wife was six months pregnant. A second assault took place at a bar in February of last year. During the latter assault, the man also threatened to kill the family’s children.

In addition to his felony charges, he was also found guilty of misdemeanors including violating a no-contact order and second-degree assault.

A King County Superior Court jury convicted him of all domestic violence charges this week. According to the Seattle Post Intelligencer, he is facing up to ten years in prison for his domestic abuse charges.

Seattle: Former Student-Teacher Romance Leads To Domestic Violence

rlhewett@mollybkenny.com (News Author)12738 — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST

A normal relationship between a student and middle school teacher in Seattle has turned into a troubled and abusive romantic relationship involving threats, extortion, and domestic violence. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, a 22-year-old man is being charged with second-degree extortion with a domestic violence enhancement after making threats to a former teacher.

Seattle Police say that the man, Jonathan Wendale Williams, became erratic and mentally unstable after a relationship ended with his former teacher, 47-year-old unnamed woman who teachers in Seattle Public Schools. According to court reports, the two did not see each other for years after their teacher-student relationship ended, but that Williams contacted her recently and they began dating. A few months later, in December 2009, the woman attempted to end their sexual relationship, sending Williams over the edge.

Allegedly, the young man began to harass the woman with hundreds of phone calls and at one point threatened to rape her and force her to have the baby. Finally, he began to threaten to contact the Seattle Public Schools Superintendent and falsely claim that she had molested him as a student. He also began to claim that he would release photographs of the couple kissing at the North Seattle Public School where she teaches. In the end, Williams told her that he would stop threatening her if she paid him $1,000.

In jail, Williams admitted that he only made the threats to get her attention and that their sexual relationship did not begin until he was a consenting adult.

Study: Link Between College Education And Divorce Rates

rlhewett@mollybkenny.com (News Author)12711 — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST

A new study reported in the Wall Street Journal has uncovered revealing information about the link between college educations and divorce rates. Betsey Stevenson and Adam Isen examined a number of surveys and data sets to determine the relationship between having a college degree and having a happy, lasting marriage.

What they found was surprising: while women and men who have finished college are most likely to stay married and to report happier marriages, the groups most likely to divorce within ten years are those who only had some college education. Those with only high school educations fell somewhere in the middle.

The authors of the study can only guess why these correlations are present, but said that it is likely that college-educated women are more likely to see marriage as a source of personal fulfillment and less as a means of economic stability. They also said that it may be that those who do not finish their college educations may have traits that don’t allow them to ride out rough or unhappy times in their marriages.

While studies have always found that men who receive college diplomas are happier and more successful in marriage, the fact that women with a college education also enter into healthier and happier relationships is a new trend that was not so pronounced 50 years ago. However, unlike 50 years ago, a college-educated woman is less likely to get married than those with only high school diplomas.

64 Percent of Violence Against Women is Considered Domestic Abuse

rlhewett@mollybkenny.com (News Author)12492 — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST

A past study by the National Institute of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that the majority of violence against women occurs from domestic abuse. The study, titled, the National Violence Against Women (NVAW) Survey, sampled both women and men.

Researchers found that 64 percent of the women included in the study reported being raped, physically assaulted and/or stalked by a current or former boyfriend, spouse or cohabiting partner.

In general, women experience more domestic violence than men. The survey reported that 22.1 percent of the women responded that a current or former spouse or partner had physically assaulted them. Only 7.4 percent of men responded that they had been victimized by domestic abuse. A little over one percent of female survey respondents said that they had experienced such violence within the previous 12 months.

The study also reported that 1.9 million women and 3.2 million men are physically assaulted every year in the United States. Even though more men are the victims of assault, women are at a significantly higher risk of being injured during such an assault.

If you have been the victim of domestic violence in Washington State, including King County or Snohomish County, contact a Mercer Island domestic violence attorney at the Law Offices of Molly B. Kenny at (206) 381-0100.

Former Presidential Candidate John Edwards Quietly Separated from Wife

rlhewett@mollybkenny.com (News Author)12489 — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST

A report by People magazine stated that former Democratic presidential candidate, John Edwards, quietly separated from his wife, Elizabeth, before he admitted to fathering a child outside of their marriage.

John responded to this report by saying, “it is an extraordinarily sad moment, but I love my children more than anything and still care deeply about Elizabeth.”

People included the Edwards’ story on its cover and reported that Elizabeth had a mediated visit in a North Carolina hotel with the 23-month-old child whom John fathered with his mistress.

Elizabeth’s sister, Nancy Anania, told People that Elizabeth said, “I’ve had it. I can’t do this. I want my life back.”

Elizabeth’s spokeswoman has stated that she is moving on with her life following an “excruciatingly painful period for her.”

The couple is currently living in different residences.

Social Media Makes It Difficult to Break the Ties After Divorce

rlhewett@mollybkenny.com (News Author)12462 — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST

In the recent past, when a couple would divorce, it was easy for the ex-spouses to avoid each other’s friends. With new technology, including social media websites, breaking the ties after divorce has become even harder.

In the movie, He’s Just Not That Into You, there is a scene where Drew Barrymore’s character complains about the numerous technological ways she is being rebuffed by potential suitors – email, texts and MySpace. She comments that, “it’s exhausting.”

The problem that couples face now when they divorce is the connections they still have on social media websites, including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace. These couples used to only see these friends at social gatherings, but not now they see them 24 hours a day on these social networking sites.

In an article provided by the New York Times News Service, titled, “Prolonging the Heartache: Digital Ties that Bind Make Breakups More Difficult,” it talks about the fact that breakups are being redefined. The article describes this situation by stating, “where once a spurned lover could use scissors to cut an ex out of the picture, digital images of the smiling couple in happier days abound on the Web and are difficult to delete.”

The advice for couples who have recently divorced – change their passwords, stop posting on social media websites and consider getting a new email address.

Tiger Woods' Wife Reportedly Wants to Save Marriage

rlhewett@mollybkenny.com (News Author)12452 — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST

After all the media attention and allegations about Tiger Woods’ affairs, his wife, Elin Nordegren wants to save her family. According to a Florida insider who talked with People.com, Elin is desperate for her two kids to have a dad and Tiger “wants to go back to being a golf star with major endorsements.”

The Florida insider went on to say that Tiger “wants his clients, who have kids of their own, to think he is a good family man.”

Tiger checked himself into a Mississippi sex-addiction clinic earlier in January and it is speculated that this week will be crucial in determining if his marriage can be salvaged. According a former patient at the clinic, “this is the rough part where the patient has to admit to his wife that he [cheated].”

Apparently, Tiger’s wife and management team ordered him to check into the clinic. A source had told US Weekly that he didn’t want to go to rehab. The source also told US Weekly that Tiger is having a difficult time not being able to play golf.

Campaign Brings Self-Defense Training to Domestic Violence Centers

rlhewett@mollybkenny.com (News Author)12450 — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST

Earlier this month, a campaign commenced that will bring self-defense training to at-risk and under-served women. According to Seattle Police Detective Kim Bogucki, these groups include, “homeless youth, homeless women, domestic violence centers, the Senior Center in West Seattle, the LGBQ community, just to name a few.”

This campaign, titled, “Fight the Fear,” came about from the community response to the murder of South Park resident Teresa Butz and the assault of her partner. Bogucki said that Butz was passionate about the organizations this campaign will be helping.

“Teresa’s partner felt that providing self-defense training for women in the city would be an amazingly positive outcome from a horrendous situation,” said Melinda Johnson, Executive Director of the Fight the Fear campaign.

Singer Brandi Carlile’s foundation will be helping pay for the campaign. She said that the goal is to get help to the women who need it.

According to Py Bateman, the founder of Alternatives to Fear that was a response to Ted Bundy’s attacks, now is the right time for this type of program. She believes that women know it’s okay to fight back.

For more information regarding this campaign, visit http://fightthefearcampaign.com.