Jones confirmed as Seattle judge

Washington, D.C.

The Senate has confirmed Richard A. Jones as a federal court judge in Seattle.

A King County Superior Court judge since 1994, he was nominated by President Bush in March at the recommendation of a bipartisan panel.

Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington said Jones has handled some very difficult cases — including that of Green River Killer Gary L. Ridgway — and that he has won universal respect.

Jones is the half-brother of music producer Quincy Jones, and was born and raised in Seattle. He graduated from the University of Washington School of Law. He has also worked as a King County deputy prosecutor and an assistant U.S. attorney.

Jones fills the seat of Judge John C. Coughenour, who took senior status last year.

That 'bear sticker' on the window signals, 'Hey, I'm a cop'

By ERIC NALDER AND LEWIS KAMB
P-I INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS

King County sheriff's Deputy Michael Behm asked the cop who nabbed him drinking and driving three years ago whether he'd seen the "bear sticker" on the back window of his truck, according to the Buckley police arrest report.

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During an internal investigation of the DUI, Behm denied referring to the sticker and said he was not seeking special treatment.

Pointing to the little sticker -- a drawing of a striding bear -- could be considered a request from one cop to another for special treatment during a stop.

It's "a suggestion that law enforcement people should get special consideration," said Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor, a 27- year veteran who hates the stickers.

You'll see them on the back windows of private cars at police hangouts, a symbol for "Hey, I'm a cop." They show up, as well, in a few DUI reports when cops are nabbed. Cops in interviews and on chat lines question the value of them, note anyone can buy one and warn that they might attract unwanted attention from savvy criminals.

Pastor would love to ban them. Personally, he is so careful not to tempt favors at a traffic stop that he has two wallets, one containing his civilian ID, including his driver's license, and another with police ID.

He started doing that two decades ago when a trooper gave him a warning after seeing his police department business card, he said.

Man pleads guilty in Kenmore crash

A man whose blood-alcohol level was nearly four times the legal limit when he drove his truck into an off-duty sheriff's deputy on a motorcycle pleaded guilty Tuesday in King County Superior Court to vehicular assault.

King County prosecutors expect to recommend an 18-month prison term for Robert Cedeno, a roofer from Arizona.

King County sheriff's Deputy Donn Potteiger was off-duty and driving his personal motorcycle home to Snohomish County after working at the Seattle Seafair Torchlight Parade when he was struck by Cedeno's truck. The accident occurred as Cedeno drove out of a Kenmore tavern's parking lot onto Highway 522 about 1:35 a.m. July 29.

Potteiger, 56, was severely injured; his right leg was amputated below the knee, and he suffered a torn aorta as well as other internal injuries.

At the time of his arrest, Cedeno had a 0.31 percent blood-alcohol level. The state's measure for intoxication is 0.08 percent.

The standard range for vehicular assault is three to nine months, but prosecutors planned to recommend an exceptional sentence of 18 months because Potteiger was severely injured. The sentencing is scheduled Nov. 2.

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Blood-alcohol tests sought as evidence in Hague DUI case

By Peyton Whitely

Seattle Times Eastside bureau

A special prosecutor has asked that blood-alcohol readings recorded by King County Councilmember Jane Hague after her June DUI arrest be readmitted as evidence.

The issue is likely to be considered at a pretrial hearing scheduled Monday afternoon in King County District Court in Redmond.

The special deputy prosecuting attorney, Lynn Moberly, argued in a motion filed last week that an order suppressing the breath samples was improperly granted.

Hague, R-Bellevue, is running for re-election. Her campaign has been troubled by the DUI arrest, a claim in a 1993 candidate's biography claiming a college degree she didn't have and by campaign-finance violations.

The state Public Disclosure Commission voted Thursday to accept an $8,000 fine from Hague to settle a complaint of campaign-finance violations.

As part of the settlement agreement, Hague admitted her campaign missed filing deadlines, accepted eight contributions over the $700 limit per election, failed to adequately disclose information about many donors and committed several other offenses.

Most of the violations occurred during Hague's 2007 re-election campaign.

The PDC action settled complaints brought by Hague's Democratic challenger, attorney Richard Pope.

In the DUI case, Moberly described how oral arguments were made to suppress the blood-alcohol results at Hague's July 30 arraignment, Moberly wrote in the motion.

Judge Peter Nault "signed an order suppressing the blood-alcohol readings on the grounds that the implied-consent warnings were confusing," Moberly wrote.

Moberly argued that Hague, who was charged under the name of Jane Hague Springman, was given an implied-consent warning the night of her arrest, and that she verbally acknowledged the warning and signed a document verifying that she had been warned about the implications of taking the blood-alcohol tests.

Moberly contended several errors were made in allowing the breath-test results to be kept out of court proceedings, including that state law requires a written affidavit from Hague's attorney be filed to support such a decision. The affidavit was not filed, Moberly wrote.

Hague was stopped by a King County deputy June 2 along Highway 520 after he saw her car swerving. She was later administered a breath test by a state trooper at the Clyde Hill police station.

According to the results, Hague provided two samples that resulted in readings of 0.135 and 0.141 percent, higher than the state level of intoxication of 0.08 percent. She was charged with driving under the influence July 16 and has pleaded not guilty.

Moberly was named a special deputy prosecuting attorney in the case Aug. 28 because of possible conflicts of interest involving the King County Prosecutor's Office.

Moberly also asked for a new judge, replacing Nault, although Moberly gave no reason for the request other than to say she didn't believe Nault would be fair and impartial.

The motion for a new judge was denied at a Tuesday hearing, according to court records. No trial date has been set.

Neither Moberly nor Doug Cowan, Hague's attorney, was available for comment.

Peyton Whitely: 206-464-2259

Seattle Times staff reporter Jim Brunner contributed to this story.

Seattle Criminal Defense