First appellate decision upholding prohibition against cartoons in tobacco advertising

OLYMPIA –They may have sent Joe Camel the way of the buffalo but that didn’t stop tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. from violating the 10-year-old agreement prohibiting the use of cartoons in tobacco advertising, the Division One Court of Appeals ruled today.

OLYMPIA – Attorney General Rob McKenna today made the following statement on Thurston County Superior Court Judge Chris Wickham’s ruling in Stenson v.

Attorney General praises FTC for shutting down Tacoma company

OLYMPIA – Attorney General Rob McKenna today praised the Federal Trade Commission for tackling a Tacoma company that preyed on financially strapped consumers. He urged consumers to take advantage of low-cost credit counseling services.

“When you’re drowning in debt, you’re desperate,” McKenna said. “But if you’re not careful, your chosen rescuer may toss you an anvil instead of a life preserver.”

Mobile-home park owner changes sales terms after Attorney General’s Office steps in

SPOKANE -- Residents of a Spokane mobile home park were bewildered to learn they didn’t own the homes they live in. When an investigation by the Washington Attorney General’s Office revealed that the owner of West Prairie Village never properly transferred the titles, the business agreed to make things right.

JOINT CONSUMER ALERT:
Office of Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna
Office of Secretary of State Sam Reed
Better Business Bureau serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington

TACOMA – The telemarketers’ pitch seems innocent enough: They want you to buy trash bags, light bulbs or gift cards at jacked-up prices. They claim your cash will help the homeless or support employment for those with disabilities. But state officials and consumer advocates are warning residents not to be misled by these sales calls.

OLYMPIA – Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced the appointment of Antoinette (Toni) Ursich as the successor to longtime Spokane Division Chief Larry Briney. Ursich is currently the Washington State University Division Chief.

Company to pay $9.75 million to states to support data protection efforts

SEATTLE—Today in King County Superior Court, former King County Assessor Russell Scott Noble was sentenced to eight months in jail after pleading guilty to one count of felony vehicular assault in a drunken crash that injured him and two others on Jan. 18.

The standard sentencing range for this crime is three to nine months in jail. The Attorney General’s Office recommended the maximum.

WSBA Home Foreclosure Legal Aid Project now accepting clients

The following news release was issued by the WSBA. The version below includes additional information on how the Attorney General's Office is supporting these efforts:

Guest column, Washington Association of Corporate Counsel

Ryan DePuy was an athletic, affectionate teenager from Bothell, Washington. According to his parents, their soccer-loving son was the last person anyone would expect to experiment with drugs.

Ryan died on April 10, 2008, from a combination of four different prescription and over-the-counter drugs.