Carl J. King, the 23-year-old Sequim man facing multiple felony charges related to the possession of child sexual abuse material, appeared in Clallam County Superior Court this afternoon. Despite King’s ties to the Dungeness Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the proceeding

An 11-year legal battle over a child’s custody arrangement is currently pending before the Washington Supreme Court, asking justices to answer a procedural question with profound implications for family law. The case centers on a mother’s request to revisit a 2019 parenting plan after her child’s

Today, the Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct released two disciplinary stipulations detailing severe misconduct by judicial officers. According to the stipulations, King County District Court Judge Fa’amomoi Masaniai and Kitsap County Superior Court Commissioner Lynn K. Fleischbein were sanctioned for actions that betray the core responsibilities of their

The legal battle over an alleged interstate child sex abuse cover-up escalated Friday, as attorneys for the plaintiff responded to the LDS Church’s assertion that it possessed “no legal duty” to intervene and protect a teenage girl from her abusive father. In a 14-page reply filed earlier

On March 13, 2026, counsel for Melissa Strawn filed a sweeping Motion for Reconsideration seeking to reverse a King County Superior Court order that stripped her of her Domestic Violence Protection Order. At the center of this legal battle is the outsized influence of a highly scrutinized evaluator and a

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has filed a sweeping legal defense against an amended lawsuit that alleges a coordinated interstate cover-up of child sex abuse in Ridgefield, Washington and Albany, Oregon. In a 26-page opposition brief filed earlier this month, attorneys representing the LDS

On April 16, 2026, the Honorable Barbara J. Rothstein of the United States District Court issued a pivotal order regarding a lawsuit filed by domestic violence survivor Gina Bloom. According to the ruling, the court has allowed Bloom’s core allegations of retaliation and malicious prosecution against the City of

In 1844, when the Nauvoo Expositor dared to publish the inconvenient truth about an authoritarian’s secret shadow government, LDS founder Joseph Smith didn’t answer with free speech—he ordered a heavily armed posse to smash the printing press with sledgehammers. Today in Clallam County, we are no longer

The Washington State Supreme Court has officially censured and removed Judge Pro Tempore David Ruzumna from judicial office. The unanimous decision, filed on April 9, 2026, concludes a disciplinary saga that began with a controversial attempt to secure a parking discount at a Seattle garage. As previously reported by the

Last month, we reported on a lawsuit against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, for allegedly covering up severe sexual abuse of a child in Ridgefield, Washington and Albany, Oregon. Newly filed court documents claim that the Church’s alleged failure to protect the plaintiff, identified as

From April 6 through April 10, 2026, the digital doors to the Clallam County Superior Court will be locked. The Clallam County Clerk’s Office has announced a total shutdown of electronic filing as it transitions to the Enterprise Justice system. For five business days, the court will revert to

For a victim of domestic abuse, the legal system is supposed to offer an exit strategy. The swift resolution of a divorce, the finalization of child custody, and the issuance of a permanent protection order create the only legally enforceable boundary between a victim and their abuser. In Clallam County,

I recently wrote about the disqualification procedure in Washington, which can generally be used to disqualify a judge, as long as it is used before that judge makes a discretionary ruling in the case. Our readers often ask me what can be done after a judge issues a problematic ruling.

Exactly one month after the disgraced and abrupt exit of former Court Commissioner Brian Parker, Clallam County has officially opened the search for his replacement. An email distributed yesterday by Superior Court Administrator Lacey Halberg, confirmed that the court is now soliciting applications for the vacant position. After a year