OLYMPIA— Prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Sexually Violent Predator Unit (SVP) begin trial this week in Lewis County Superior Court to determine whether a repeat sex offender should remain confined to the State’s Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island.

OLYMPIA… Thurston County Superior Court Judge Carol Murphy has reversed a key portion of a decision approving Puget Sound Energy’s multi-year energy rate plan, which could roll back automatic rate increases for PSE customers.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) approved the rate plan for PSE in 2013.  The plan included automatic rate increases for PSE customers beginning in 2013 and continuing until 2016 or 2017— at PSE’s option.

News Release Courtesy of Washington Dept. of Labor and Industries

SEATTLE — A Seattle contractor faces charges that he defrauded homeowners who paid him more than $45,000 to upgrade their bathrooms and kitchens, and do other home renovation projects.

Instead of improving homes, the Attorney General's Office alleges Gary Shannon Edwards pocketed payments for work that he never completed or never even started.

SEATTLE—A Washington State Attorney General’s Office lawsuit has stopped deceptive business practices and will return money to over 11,000 Washington state consumers. These consumers purchased worthless food handler certificates from eFoodhandlers, Inc. that do not comply with Washington state law.

“Consumers paid for a worthless piece of paper,” said Attorney General Bob Ferguson. “eFoodhandlers’ deceptive practices made it difficult for food service workers to keep a job and businesses to stay open. My office will not tolerate deceptive business practices.”

OLYMPIA—A former Franklin County Corrections Officer entered a guilty plea in Franklin County Superior Court in response to sexual misconduct charges filed by the Attorney General’s Office in late April.

Justin Thomas Husom pled guilty today to:

Roughly 2,900 small businesses may receive refunds

OLYMPIA— The Attorney General’s Office recently filed suit in King County Superior Court against Mandatory Poster Agency (MPA), doing business as Corporate Records Service, and its top corporate officers, for unfair and deceptive business practices in violation of Washington’s Consumer Protection Act.

OLYMPIA— The Attorney General’s Office will recover roughly $36,200 from a Snohomish couple who claimed to be collecting funds for charity but instead pocketed more than half of the money.

The Attorney General’s Office filed a consumer protection complaint against Knowledge for Kids (K4K), which also does business as “Kures for Kids,” and its owners/operators, a married couple, Michael and Amy Gannon, in December.

SEATTLE – Attorney General Bob Ferguson has secured full restitution for consumers who lost money doing business with the now defunct Gill’s Furniture, a retail store formerly located in Tacoma, Washington.

Attorney General’s Office prevents community release of violent predator

OLYMPIA, WA — A Cowlitz County jury has decided that repeat sex offender Ivan Walkowski is a dangerous predator and must remain confined to the State’s Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island.  In the interest of public safety, prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) Unit have been fighting since late 2012 to prevent Walkowski from being released into the community.

OLYMPIA—The Washington Attorney General’s Office started trial this week in Cowlitz County Superior Court seeking to civilly commit a Cowlitz county sex offender and prevent his release into the community.

Washington’s Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) law allows the state Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to petition for the civil commitment of violent sex offenders who, because of a mental abnormality and/or personality disorder, are proven likely to engage in predatory acts of sexual violence if released.