A divided Washington Supreme Court on Thursday approved a registered sex offender’s application to become an attorney in the state — though the man says he’s not sure he’ll wind up practicing law after all.
Zachary Leroy Stevens, 35, has been living in Arizona, where he attended law school and worked for a lawyer who represents American Indian tribes. He grew up in Utah, where he was convicted of voyeurism after sending child pornography to an undercover detective in 2006 at age 19 and where several years later he was arrested for drunken driving while on probation.
The dissenting justices, led by Justice Barbara Madsen, said they were concerned that Stevens had not completed his legal obligations — he must continue to register as a sex offender until 2024 at least; that he had not provided a current mental health evaluation; and that the Arizona bar had rejected his application, a factor that Washington should respect, they said.
Stevens applied to become a lawyer in Washington in 2019, after Arizona rejected his application. A Washington State Bar Association committee reviewed his petition and rejected it 6-5. He appealed to the Supreme Court.“I’ve been trying to get admitted to the practice of law for longer than I attended law school,” he said.
“I have a lot of options,” Stevens said. “The decision was extremely compassionately written, and it affords a lot of people opportunities that just weren’t available to them. Even if I don’t pursue the practice of law, I’m satisfied this court found merit in my case. More so than any other state, Washington has established parameters on what it takes to be admitted to the practice of law when you have a checkered background.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Sex offender can become Washington state lawyer, court rulesA divided Washington Supreme Court on Thursday approved a registered sex offender’s application to become an attorney in the state — though the man says he’s not sure he’ll wind up practicing law after all.
Read more »
Washington state court temporarily blocks Albertsons' $4 bln dividend payoutA state court in Washington has temporarily blocked Albertsons Companies Inc from paying a $4 billion dividend to shareholders before the grocery chain closes its proposed deal with rival Kroger Co , documents filed said on Thursday.
Read more »
Advocates, utilities ask Indiana Supreme Court to decide how solar customers are chargedA case pending before the Indiana Supreme Court will determine what future electricity bills will look like for Hoosiers with rooftop solar — and it could mean the difference of more than $100 each month.
Read more »
Females seeking abortion traveled longer distances following Supreme Court rulingAccording to data released last month by the Guttmacher Institute, 14 states no longer have any abortion providers.
Read more »
Supreme Court arguments interrupted by protesters opposed to abortion ruling'Our right to choose will not be taken away,' one of the women said minutes into the court's proceedings before she was whisked away by court security. 'Women vote for the right to choose.'
Read more »