King County judge rejects the companies’ attempt to dismiss antitrust lawsuit

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s antitrust lawsuit to block the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons can continue, a King County judge ruled today, rejecting the companies’ request to dismiss the case.

Ferguson asserts the proposed merger of the two largest supermarket companies in Washington state will severely limit shopping options for consumers and eliminate vital competition that keeps grocery prices low.

PORT ANGELES — The Attorney General’s Office announced today that it filed 30 felony animal cruelty charges against Angela Jacobsen of Sequim in Clallam County Superior Court.

If convicted, Jacobsen faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine for each charge of first-degree felony animal cruelty.

Washington’s opioid recoveries reach $1.29 billion and counting

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today he signed onto a pending resolution with Kroger that will bring in $47.5 million to combat the opioid epidemic in Washington state. Half of these resources will go to the state and the other half will go to Washington city and county governments.

UPDATE: The judge's written order is available here. 

Michigan defendants previously paid $1.2 million for similar scam

TACOMA — The Washington Attorney General’s Office recently filed a petition in Pierce County Superior Court to civilly commit a sex offender and prevent his release to the community.

Allure Esthetic broke the law by forcing thousands of patients to sign non-disclosure agreements prior to any treatment

SEATTLE — A federal judge agreed with Attorney General Bob Ferguson, ruling that Seattle plastic surgery provider Allure Esthetic and its owner, Dr. Javad Sajan, illegally prevented patients from posting negative reviews about the business.

AG’s lawfully owed DNA project results in 2,681 DNA samples collected from offenders who previously failed to submit DNA as required by law

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that more than 2,600 serious criminal offenders provided their DNA to law enforcement after previously failing to do so as required by law. As a result of Ferguson’s lawfully owed DNA project, these samples are now in a national DNA database critical to identifying perpetrators of unsolved rapes, murders and other violent crimes.

SECOND UPDATE: Washington Supreme Court grants emergency stay, keeping Washington's ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines in place.