Argues upholding local bans reduces likelihood of federal scrutiny

SEATTLE — The Washington State Supreme Court this week agreed with an Attorney General’s Office “friend of the court” brief that local jurisdictions have the right to regulate or ban collective gardens.  

The office filed an amicus curiae brief in Cannabis Action Coalition v. City of Kent, where a medical marijuana advocacy group challenged the city’s ban on collective gardens.

On Thursday, the high court ruled in agreement with the Attorney General’s argument.

Only $5 million of $187 million donated went to the help cancer patients

SEATTLE — Today marks the 180^th day since President Obama announced a series of reforms he was undertaking by executive action.  Under the Obama Administration’s plan, millions of families, including thousands of Washington residents, would today be filing requests under the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans program (DAPA).  Instead, implementation of this and other reform initiatives has been delayed by a misguided lawsuit led by the state of Texas.

OLYMPIA — Today, Governor Jay Inslee signed into law Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s proposal to close a loophole in the Sexually Violent Predator statute to prevent the release of offenders who have not been rehabilitated.

LCD manufacturers drove up costs on TVs, laptops, cell phones

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today his office expects to recover a total of $63 million from nine LCD manufacturers, whose price-fixing conspiracy drove up prices consumers paid on items like TVs, laptops and cell phones.

If approved, it will be one of the largest recoveries for Washington by the Attorney General’s Antitrust Division in state history.

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today commented on an order issued Monday by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington in the Hanford Site litigation.

Restitution for unauthorized texting charges leads to $158 million “cramming” payouts nationally

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced that more than 750,000 Washington Sprint and Verizon customers will be eligible for refunds for unauthorized charges on their cell phone bills as a result of legal action by his office. The restitution for Washington consumers is part of a nationwide $158 million agreement that resolves allegations that the companies placed unauthorized third-party service charges on subscribers’ telephone bills.

SEATTLE — A Seattle business owner pleaded guilty today to harassment charges brought by the Attorney General’s Office after the man threatened a court employee.

Serjik Kocharian, 53, threatened a city magistrate judge at an infraction hearing where he disputed a ticket he received for operating his business without a license.

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced that his office successfully defended Washington’s voter-approved Initiative-594, which expanded the state’s firearm background check requirements, against a challenge in federal court.

U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle dismissed the case of Northwest School of Safety v. Ferguson, in which the plaintiffs argued that the recently enacted law is unconstitutional.  The court found that the Plaintiffs had suffered no injury from I-594, and thus lacked legal standing to challenge the law.

TACOMA — As golf enthusiasts anticipate June’s U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, in University Place, Wash., many are looking to score a hole-in-one with sought-after tickets.

As an alternative to buying tickets directly from the sporting event organizer, some fans turn to ticket resellers.