Washington Legal News: Seattle Divorce & Domestic Violence Lawyer

When it comes to divorce, child custody, and domestic violence, you are not alone – far from it. Stories of ending marriages, custody battles, and abused love are in the news every day, both on a national level and right here in the greater Seattle area. We can learn a lot from these current events stories, both about Washington law and others who may share similar experiences with you. Below, please read our collection of Washington legal news stories.

News Category: All CategoriesDivorce and PropertyDomestic ViolenceChild Custody and SupportGeneral

Domestic Violence

• Seattle Domestic Violence Suspect Threatens Police With Jeep
  Aug 02, 2010

  A Seattle Police officer was almost run over with a Jeep while pursuing a man suspected of domestic violence in Washington State this week. According to the Seattle Times, police responded to a call made by a 31-year-old woman claiming that she and her partner had had a domestic dispute. By the time officers arrived at the residence, located in the 6300 block of 22nd Avenue Southwest, the man has taken the couple’s year-and-a-half-old son and fled the crime scene.
  
  The Seattle woman involved in the domestic abuse incident was not injured.
  
  Seattle Police soon found the man at a nearby convenience store, purchasing goods with his 18-month old son unrestrained in the front seat. When police confronted the man and asked him to put his hands above his head, he got in the car and attempted to run over one of the officers, who jumped out of the way. The incident took place at the parking lot of the 7-Eleven in the 4300 block of Southwest Admiral Way. Although the offices attempted to follow the vehicle, they did not want to chase the car because of the safety of the child. The Jeep was later found abandoned in a nearby alley.
  
  Although Washington police do not believe that the child is in danger, they are seeking any information that citizens have about the suspect. He is a 27-year-old Caucasian, approximately 5’10” and 250 pounds with a long ponytail. He was last seen wearing a white tank top.
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• Before Seattle Domestic Violence Trial, Hill Faces New Investigation
  Aug 01, 2010

  Just as the Seahawks prepare for a new season of NFL football, and just days before his domestic violence case goes to trial, professional football linebacker Leroy Hill of Seattle is facing new allegations of witness intimidation and witness tampering.
  
  Although Hill was ordered by a King County judge not to contact the alleged victim of domestic abuse, his girlfriend, documents filed at the King County Court said that he had initiated contact with the woman several times. Police said that they confirmed the illegal witness contact both with Sprint phone records and GPS information.
  
  The incident of Seattle domestic abuse took place in April at the couple’s Issaquah home. Washington Police say that the couple began arguing about possibly infidelity by Hill. Hill then grabbed the woman by the ponytail and dragged her down a flight of stairs. He missed a number of pre-season practices for his legal trouble – and the NFL has suspended Hill from the first game of the season for a marijuana possession misdemeanor that took place earlier this year and just a month before the domestic violence incident.
  
  Prosecutors began to suspect witness tampering when Hill’s girlfriend went from cooperating with the investigation to being difficult. She then stopped showing up to her job and did not appear for a court date. A few days before her disappearance, her car was spotted parked at Hill’s residence. Hill’s domestic violence attorney says that neither he nor Hill is aware of the location of the girlfriend or the new witness tampering allegations.
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• Seattle Man Forced Pregnant Girlfriend To Sign “Abuse Contract”
  Jun 18, 2010

  A man is in King County jail held on $100,000 bail after Seattle Police say he assaulted his pregnant teen girlfriend twice. According to the Seattle Times, 31-year-old Graydon Smith was arrested on domestic abuse charges against his 19-year-old pregnant girlfriend.
  
  In an odd twist to this sad domestic violence news story, it was revealed that Smith had his girlfriend sign an “abuse contract” that permitted him to physically strike his girlfriend whenever he pleased as long as he did not hit her in her pregnant belly.
  
  In April, Seattle Police received a call from the abuse victim from their Haller Lake home, in which the young women told authorities that her boyfriend had threatened to kill her and that he had beat her in the past. Weeks later, Smith’s stepfather called Washington Police to the home a second time, this time after the stepfather reported that Smith was choking his girlfriend. When police arrived, they found that the girl had indeed been choked and was also bleeding from her head as the results of the same domestic abuse incident. In addition she had bruising on the back of her head. During that day of domestic violence, the stepfather was also punched by his stepson.
  
  Smith is denying that he hit or hurt his pregnant girlfriend, though he did admit to reporters that he made his girlfriend sign a document permitting violence against her.
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• Seattle Seahawks Player Leroy Hill Gets Domestic Violence Court Date
  Jun 17, 2010

  Following a Seattle domestic violence charge in April against his live-in girlfriend, Seattle Seahawks player Leroy Hill now has a Washington State court date set for July. At the same time, the NFL football player was also seen at Seahawks practice for the first time since his arrest on April 10.
  
  The starting linebacker for the pro football team was arrested in the spring and charged with misdemeanor assault during domestic violence. The incident took place at the couple’s Issaquah home in the Talus Community – Washington police say that when they arrived on the scene, the yet-to-be-identified woman had visible marked on her body that suggested domestic violence. Just days before the domestic abuse incident, Hill was arrested on a marijuana possession charge.
  
  The next court appearance that Hill will make is for a July 24 pretrial hearing in which persecutors will determine if there is enough evidence to continue with the domestic violence and assault trial and set a date. King County prosecutor told reporters that she believes that there is indeed enough evidence to convict the football players. If the trial does occur, it would probably take place within a week of the pretrial hearing – perhaps at the end of July or the beginning of August.
  
  According to Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, the team is ready to welcome Hill back to the playing field after consulting with the NFL and receiving positive feedback about allowing Hill to return to practices. - 24 - 30

• King County Man Convicted Of Murdering Seattle Ex-Wife
  May 16, 2010

  A deadly instance of domestic violence in Seattle has ended in the conviction of an abusive husband. The Seattle Post-Intellegencer reports that Washington State resident Jose Angel Blanco was found guilty of murder with a deadly weapon after a King County jury deliberated for 90 minutes regarding the evidence.
  
  Blanco was found guilty of stabbing his ex-wife, Seattle resident Noemi L. Lopez, 58 times with a knife on November 30, 2008. Although the pair had been divorced for over a year, Blanco had allegedly said that he would kill his ex-wife if she ever began dating anyone new. In addition, the man had sent a text message to his ex-wife’s brother telling him that if the rumors that Lopez were dating again were true, he would “take care of [her].”
  
  On the day of the domestic violence incident, Blanco called his 15-year-old daughter to warn her not to go home so as not to discover her mother’s body. After fleeing the murder scene, he left two notes admitting the crime at his girlfriend’s house. In one of the notes, he said that he told his victim, “I got more power than you.”
  
  While he initially fled the country for his native Mexico, Blanco turned himself in two weeks later to Seattle Police at the Sea-Tac Airport. A Washington detective was able to persuade him to return after speaking to him over the phone.
  
  Blanco will be sentence later this spring – he faces 22 to 29 years in prison for his domestic violence murder. - 25 - 30

• Seattle Seahawk Player Leroy Hill Accused Of Domestic Violence
  May 14, 2010

  Seattle Seahawks line backer Leroy Hill has been charged with fourth-degree assault, domestic violence, following a Saturday night arrest in Issaquah's Talus Community by Washington Police.
  
  According to officers responding to the scene, NFL football player Hill and his girlfriend had been fighting and his girlfriend had obvious marks on her that indicated a physical assault had taken place. The woman, who has not been identified, confirmed that Hill had harmed her during the domestic dispute. Officers could not say what the domestic violence incident regarded or what the initial fight was about.
  
  The seriousness of the women’s injuries is not known and the investigation is ongoing.
  
  Hill has a history with the law – he was arrested this year for marijuana possession. The Seattle Seahawks general manager released a statement stating that he took Hill’s behavior and domestic violence charges very seriously – at the same time, Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has asked Hill not to attend the NFL football team’s off-season mini-camps out of fear that he would be a distraction to the team. Hill is awaiting disciplinary action from the NFL, which could likely include a suspension during the regular season.
  
  For his marijuana possession charge, Hill agreed to 30 hours of community service and attendance at a drug and alcohol counseling program.
  
  The Seattle Seahawks drafted Hill in 2005, but made him a free agent in 2009 after drafting a highly sought-after linebacker. However, he was re-signed to the team on Aril 30 for a six-year run and 38 million dollars. - 26 - 30

• Kent Domestic Violence Shelter Safe Havens Suffers Funding Issues
  May 13, 2010

  A Kent, Washington, organization that helps the survivors of domestic violence may have to close its doors due to funding woes – perhaps as early as this weekend. The organization, Safe Haven, which relies heavily on federal funding and donations, gives domestic violence survivors and their partners a safe place in which to conduct child visitations.
  
  In many cases, domestic violence victims are at risk for further harm after the relationship is over – and can often occur when children are exchanged or visitations take place. This center minimizes the risk that parents take when allowing their ex-spouse to visit with their children if there is a protection order or restraining order on one of the partners.
  
  Tracee Parker, the Program Director at Safe Havens, recalled one Seattle visitation event that took place in 1998. After the father dropped the child off in the parking lot, he approached his ex-wife and shot her four times. She was killed and so was her child, who was hit by a stray bullet while sitting in the back seat.
  
  Safe Haven has special practices that allow children to see both of their parents without putting anyone in danger. The organization, which is funded partially through a federal grant, charges families between $2 and $5 per visit, making safe visitations affordable for most any family.
  
  Now, the city of Kent, Washington is asking for a plan from the domestic violence support group, who say they are looking for donations and funding in order to keep their doors open even until the weekend.
  
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• Women With Domestic Violence History Working In Washington Schools
  Apr 25, 2010

  Could your child be attending a Washington State school that employs felons with a history of domestic violence convictions? Legally, they could be, says Grandview School District Superintendent Kevin Chase, who has been defending the hiring of a woman with a history of domestic abuse charges against her child.
  
  The school hired Karen Ott, a Yakima woman who spent six months in jail for a Class B felony – second-degree assault and domestic violence. The woman was charged and convicted of hitting her son with a belt until he was hospitalized at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Now, however, she has served her time and is working in a clerical position in the Grandview School District in Yakima.
  
  Certified employees at schools cannot have criminal felonies on their records, but other employees, like secretaries, can have domestic violence charges and still be considered. But while Ott’s supporters say that she doesn’t have direct contact with students, others say that she has had some interactions with children, such as escorting a child to the bus.
  
  The Superintendent of the school says that Ott was the most qualified applicant for the position, and that she deserves a second chance. He also said that Ott disclosed her criminal history of domestic violence with the hiring committee and that they were comfortable with hiring her despite her past. He also notes that since she has been hired, she has been a hard worker and an ideal employee. Others close to the family say that the current drama is being overplayed because Ott is in the middle of a child custody dispute. - 28 - 30

• Tacoma Man Convicted Of Killing Estranged Wife And Stepdaughter
  Apr 05, 2010

  Tacoma, Washington, was the setting for a tragic example of domestic violence – a man going through a divorce committed the double murder of his wife and stepdaughter as he struggled to cope with the end of his marriage.
  
  According to court reports, 53-year-old Charles W. Nettlebeck killed his wife, 52-year-old Barbara Joe Nettlebeck, and his stepdaughter, 33-year-old Joan Hawkins with an ax at his wife’s residence. The double murder occurred in March of 2009 after Charles went to his former home to help with a yard sale. After an argument, the man decapitated his wife and then mauled his stepdaughter. Three hours later, following an attempt to hang himself, the man called 911 and reported what he had done. His wife was pronounced dead at the scene of the crime while his stepdaughter died of her injuries a few hours later at the hospital.
  
  At the time of the domestic violence murder, Barbara had a protective order against her husband and had filed for divorce. It is not clear whether he was invited to the house on the day of the yard sale. It is also not clear whether the man had a history of domestic abuse or violence against his wife and family.
  
  This week a Tacoma jury found the man guilty on two counts of aggravated first-degree murder. Sentencing will take place next month. Prosecutors will not pursue the death penalty because of Nettlebeck’s long history of mental illness that could have contributed to his actions. - 29 - 30

• Seattle Church Couples Counseling Session Leads To Domestic Violence
  Mar 31, 2010

  A man fatally shot his ex-wife during a church counseling session, the Seattle Times reports. Last week, 42-year-old Charles "Chuck" Parson attended a couple’s therapy session at the Calvary Lutheran Church in Federal Way with his ex-wife, 38-year-old Carol Parsons. During the session, the therapist said that Chuck Parsons got up from his chair as if he were going to leave, but pulled a handgun and shot his separated wife at least three times. After the shooting, the man called 911 and turned himself in to police.
  
  The couple, who has three young children, had been going through a divorce for the last year, though Chuck Parsons wanted to work things out with his wife and was extremely upset over the separation. Carol Parsons believed that counseling would help him find closure and better understand the situation.
  
  Chuck Parson had no history of domestic violence or other criminal charges, though Carol’s sister said that during the marriage he could often be possessive and controlling, calling Carol obsessively and checking in with her. While he had not been physically abusive, it is not clear if there had been verbal or emotional abuse in the past. They had been married for 12 years.
  
  Chuck Parsons, who is from Lakewood, is now in jail with a bail of $5 million due to his high flight risk. His defense attorney described him as extremely emotionally upset. The children of the couple are staying with relatives in the wake of this tragic crime.
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