Other LanguagesOLYMPIA - December 2, 1997 - King County Superior Court Judge George Finkle has ordered that the State Attorney General's Office be given access to key tobacco company documents for use in the state's lawsuit against the industry. The AG's Office contends the documents will support its claim that the tobacco industry misrepresented the health hazards of smoking.
SEATTLE - The Washington State Attorney General's Office and the British Columbia Ministry of Attorney General today joined forces to seize assets and close down a Vancouver, BC telemarketer. The cooperative effort is part of crackdown by law enforcement agencies in both nations to stop cross-border telemarketing fraud.
The Attorney General's Office today warned consumers throughout Washington that charity scams have gotten an early jump on the holiday giving season. Consumers in the Seattle area are currently being called by "Operation Holidays - Set the Table Food Basket Drive," which asks for donations to buy gifts for holiday baskets they claim will be distributed by Northwest Harvest and Seattle Emergency Housing.
SEATTLE - October 8, 1997 - In an agreement negotiated by the Attorney General's Office, Vacation Time Worldwide will reimburse consumers who purchased travel club memberships and have not received their promised vacations. The Bellevue travel club has established a $100,000 trust fund to cover the reimbursement costs.
Spokane- -October 8, 1997 - The Washington State Attorney General's office announced this week seven Spokane and three Tri-Cities non-profit organizations will receive $30,000 as part of agreements reached with Ennis Fine Furniture and Oak Furniture Warehouse.
OLYMPIA - A Vancouver-area attorney was sentenced in Clark County Superior Court for his attempted assault of two people with a deadly weapon.
Seattle---Attorney General Christine Gregoire today announced one of the country's largest marketers of Florida and Bahamas travel and timeshare vacations, will pay $225,000 in consumer restitution and $257,500 in penalties and costs to Washington and ten other states.
OLYMPIA - A federal judge has clarified what casino games Indian tribes and the state can negotiate under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. In his ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Fred Van Sickle of Spokane accepted the state's argument that since Washington law expressly prohibits slot machines and other forms of machine gaming, they are not permitted under IGRA.
Olympia- September 18, 1997- A settlement was announced today in a lawsuit filed by the Attorney General's Office on October 10, 1995, challenging the alleged use of public resources to promote a 1994 Seattle School District school construction bond measure. The settlement includes an acknowledgment of violations of state campaign laws along with a commitment by the District to develop a plan to prevent future violations.
Seattle - September 18, 1997 - The Office of the Insurance Commissioner and the Office of the Attorney General today announced major action has been taken to improve the way auto-related products including credit insurance and service contracts are sold to consumers.