Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1996 NO. 1 >
SUPERIOR COURTS--DISTRICT COURTS--JUVENILE COURTS--PUBLIC RECORDS‑SCHOOLS‑TRUANCY‑Confidentiality of juvenile court records in truancy cases The records of a juvenile court in a truancy case are confidential and not available for public inspection and copying, with the limited exceptions listed in
AGO 1996 NO. 2 >
SUPERIOR COURT - JUDGES - SALARY AND BENEFITS - STATE CONSTITUTION - SOCIAL SECURITY - WORKERS COMPENSATION- Legal responsibility of state and counties for employer contributions to Superior Court judges' salary-related benefits. In the absence of specific legislative direction to the contrary, the
AGO 1996 NO. 3 >
DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE - FISH - Authority of the director of Fish and Wildlife to require that fish guards be installed, maintained, and replaced. 1.  The director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife has a generalized duty to enforce the laws requiring fish guards in lakes,
AGO 1996 NO. 4 >
LIQUOR - LIQUOR CONTROL BOARD - WINERIES - BREWERIES - Authority of Liquor Control Board to appoint vendor to sell limited line of spirituous liquor. The Liquor Control Board does not have the statutory authority to appoint a winery or brewery as a liquor vendor to sell only the spirituous liquor
AGO 1996 NO. 5 >
PLATTING AND SUBDIVISIONS - COUNTIES - CITIES AND TOWNS - Effect of 1969 Platting Act on land platted before enactment.  1.  The requirements of chapter 58.17 RCW, enacted in 1969 and relating to platting and subdivisions, apply to land platted before 1937 under chapter 58.08 RCW or
AGO 1996 NO. 6 >
REAL PROPERTY - TAXATION - COUNTIES - HOMESTEADS - Effect of homestead declaration and declaration of allodial ownership on property tax liability.  1.  A recorded declaration that a property owner holds real estate in "allodial freehold" is ineffective to exempt the real estate
AGO 1996 NO. 7 >
CITIES AND TOWNS - COUNTIES - SHERIFF - POLICE - PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT- Transfer rights of sheriff's employees laid off as a result of formation of police department in city incoporated before enactment of statutes granting transfer rights. RCW 35.13.360 through .400 do not entitle sheriff's
AGO 1996 NO. 8 >
LIQUOR - LIQUOR CONTROL BOARD -Authority of liquor wholesalers who also wholesale non-liquor items to offer premiums or price incentives to retailers on the non-liquor items. RCW 66.28.190 does not authorize a liquor wholesaler who also wholesales non-liquor items to offer free product, price
AGO 1996 NO. 9 >
SCHOOL DISTRICTS- SCHOOL EMPLOYEES - SCHOOL FUNDS - SALARY AND BENEFITS - HEALTH INSURANCE - HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY -  Obligation to provide "basic benefits" before offering "optional" benefit package. RCW 28A.400.280 requires a school district to offer some form of each of the five "
AGO 1996 NO. 10 >
SCHOOLS -SCHOOL DISTRICTS- DISTRICTS - RELIGION - CHURCHES  - Constitutionality of prayer at commencement exercises. 1.  Under current U. S. Supreme Court case law, it would not be constitutional for the officers or employees of a school district (or other governmental entity operating a