In a precedent-setting civil decision, the Washington State Court of Appeals has ruled that domestic violence survivors can sue their alleged abusers for an ongoing pattern of abuse without being strictly limited by standard civil statute of limitations deadlines. In a published opinion filed June 23, the Division II

Spokane County District Court Judge Jennifer Fassbender has been formally admonished by the Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct for issuing rulings in a case after she had already agreed to step down from it. According to a Stipulation, Agreement, and Order of Admonishment entered on June 26, 2026, the

The financial fallout from a landmark federal discrimination lawsuit against the Quillayute Valley School District continues to mount. Following a federal jury verdict in April that found QVSD liable for cultivating a hostile work environment, U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin H. Settle has ordered the district to pay exactly

Former Clallam County Drug Court Coordinator Johnny Fred Watts Jr. pleaded not guilty to federal drug distribution and weapons charges during his arraignment on Tuesday afternoon. Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Grady J. Leupold, Watts was formally advised of the charges and potential penalties stemming from a federal grand

The Quillayute Valley School District Board of Education attempted to stick to a routine bureaucratic agenda on Tuesday night, preparing to vote on adding carpeting over the concrete flooring in the commons and spending nearly $49,000 in taxpayer funds for new desktop phones. But the community had other plans.

A 39-year-old Everson, Washington, resident has been federally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm following an early-morning shooting incident involving U.S. Border Patrol agents. Nathaniel A. Muniz-Spry was taken into custody at a Whatcom County hospital on June 16, 2026, following

A federal grand jury has formally indicted former Clallam County Drug Court Coordinator Johnny F. Watts Jr. and a co-defendant on federal drug distribution and weapons charges. As part of our ongoing coverage, we are providing the public with a complete copy of the six-page Indictment document below.

A highly anticipated federal court hearing regarding a child sexual abuse lawsuit against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been postponed until late summer. Originally scheduled for July 1, oral arguments will now take place on Aug. 5, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. According to

The Quillayute Valley School District Board of Education meets tonight at 5:30 p.m. at the Forks High School Library, where mounting community frustration over student safety is expected to clash with a routine administrative agenda. In recent meetings, parents and former educators have packed the boardroom to protest

Recently obtained public records are shedding new light on the Clallam County Superior Court’s hiring process for its newest Family Court Commissioner. A review of the documents reveals a notable detail regarding the hiring process: the court interviewed a total of just three candidates for the vacancy left by

While Thursday night’s raucous, protest-filled meeting of the Port Angeles School District Board of Directors will likely be remembered for the unprecedented and constitutionally dubious censure of newly elected Director Nancy Hamilton, another legal landmine was quietly planted in its immediate aftermath. Moments after the 4-1 vote

Over the first half of June, our articles have ruthlessly confronted unconstitutional government overreach, exposed catastrophic leniency from the judicial bench, and documented the institutional blind spots that leave our region’s most vulnerable populations at risk. Here is a look at what we have brought to light so far

At The Olympic Herald, our independent investigative reporting is deeply rooted in regional accountability, advocating for First Amendment protections, and aggressively opposing prior restraints on the press and public. On Thursday evening, the Port Angeles School District Board of Directors voted 4-1 to pass Resolution 2526-18, a measure

In a tumultuous, emotionally charged marathon meeting punctuated by public protests, shouts from the audience, and multiple board recesses, the Port Angeles School District Board of Directors voted 4-1 Thursday night to formally censure newly elected Director Nancy Hamilton. The passage of Resolution 2526-18 not only issues a

A distinct and horrific pattern of judicial decisions denying protection to the public has emerged within our regional courts, linking visiting Kitsap Judge Cadine Ferguson-Brown to preventable tragedy. Just as Clallam County residents have seen in previous catastrophic failures within the local justice system—such as the deadly 2014

Tonight, the Port Angeles School District Board of Directors is scheduled to vote on Resolution 2526-18, a sweeping, eight-page formal censure aimed at newly elected Director Nancy Hamilton. On the surface, the board majority and Superintendent Michelle Olsen have framed the reprimand as a necessary administrative measure to

Tomorrow evening, the Port Angeles School District Board of Directors will vote on an eight-page resolution to formally censure Director Nancy Hamilton, a move that comes after months of friction over the newly elected board member’s persistent inquiries into district operations. 📄 Resolution 2526 18 Censure Nancy Hamilton (156KB

A multi-agency vehicle pursuit of a suspected impaired driver ended directly on the Clallam-Jefferson county line on Tuesday afternoon after law enforcement executed a tactical maneuver to stop a stolen work truck. The driver, identified by authorities as Martin Swagerty, was taken into custody following the chase. Clallam

Dr. Steve R. Tutty, a clinical psychologist who has served as a frequent expert witness in Washington state child custody cases, has publicly announced he is no longer accepting divorce cases. In a recent editorial published on his firm’s website, NW Family Psychology, Tutty framed his departure from the

A multi-agency law enforcement operation targeting suspected drug activity in downtown Port Angeles resulted in two arrests and the seizure of fentanyl, methadone, and a cache of weapons on Monday. Daun Lee Layton, 44, was booked into the Clallam County Correction Facility Monday on allegations of manufacturing, delivering, or

The Court of Appeals Division II has affirmed a Clallam County Superior Court decision allowing a local motorist to pursue claims against her auto insurer, even after the company eventually paid her arbitration award. The published opinion, filed Tuesday, upholds a May 10, 2024 ruling by Clallam County Superior Court