Pageant competitor returns home to advocate new protections for victims of chronic batterers

SEATTLE – She was crowned Miss Washington in 2007. A year later, the young woman from Wapato, Wash., placed third in the 2008 Miss America Pageant. Yet, Elyse Umemoto felt defeated.

That’s because, like tens of thousands of Washington residents every year, Elyse’s successes were marred by a recent episode of domestic violence.

OLYMPIA… The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today reversed and granted an immediate stay of a lower court’s preliminary injunction blocking the release of Referendum 71 petitions containing the names and addresses of those who signed the measure.

Illegal sales practices are widespread in the industry

SEATTLE – Window sellers need to be transparent in their marketing. Roofers need to stay on top of the law. And home siding installers shouldn’t sidle up to consumers with inappropriately high-pressure sales pitches.

OLYMPIA…Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced Sharyl Kammerzell as the new Division Chief of the Washington State University Division of the Attorney General’s Office.

Kammerzell, who will assume her new role on Nov.16, has served as Senior Associate General Counsel in the Office of General Counsel at the University of Idaho since 2002.

Door-to-door solicitor is back in the Northwest

SEATTLE -- If a young person knocks on your door and says they're selling magazines for a charity, wait before reaching for your pocketbook. The Washington Attorney General’s Office, which issued a warning about Fresh Start Opportunities in March, says solicitors have returned to Washington state.

OLYMPIA…The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today granted the state’s request to expedite the state’s appeal of the preliminary injunction granted in federal court on Sept. 10, 2009. The injunction blocks the release of Referendum 71 petitions containing the names and addresses of those who signed the measure. The underlying case challenges the state’s public records law as an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment.

AG’s Office also announces guilty pleas in separate Medicaid fraud case

OLYMPIA — Medicaid recipient Lawrence Whitish died on Aug. 12, 2008. But a state’s attorney says his granddaughter – a government-funded care provider – continued to bill Medicaid for his ongoing care and claimed he was “fine.”

Payment-option ARMs looming threat to U.S. homeowners, officials warn

OLYMPIA – Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna fears a rise in scam victims as struggling homeowners trying to tap legitimate payment relief programs are simultaneously solicited by charlatans. He said a meeting this morning between Obama administration officials and state attorneys general on mortgage fraud is further evidence that cross-agency cooperation is vital to protect homeowners.

Attorney General’s Office says it saw through Evans Glass’ alleged ruse

SEATTLE – The Washington Attorney General’s Office today lifted the curtain on a Seattle-based window installer’s allegedly deceptive sales practices and negotiated a settlement to insulate consumers from future harm.

OLYMPIA…The state Attorney General’s Office, in consultation with the Secretary of State’s office, today announced it will appeal a preliminary injunction granted yesterday in federal court. The injunction blocks the release of the names and addresses of those who signed Referendum 71.