Mark Prothero: Washington Criminal Lawyer, DUI, Burglary, Sex Offenses

Washington Criminal Lawyer

The Criminal Law department proudly announces the hiring of 2010 Gonzaga law school graduate Erik Olsen. Erik is a 2003 graduate of Kentwood High School and a 2007 graduate of the University of Washington. He recently completed the bar exam and is awaiting results. Erik graduated Magna Cum Laude from Gonzaga and has worked at HIP law firm the past two summers. His intelligence and passion for the law will be a great addition to the criminal department as well as the HIP law firm overall.

HIP law firm is also pleased to announce that Mark’s son, Sean Prothero, has joined the firm as the legal assistant for the criminal law department as Kirsten Lee moves on to Willamette Law School. Kirsten will be missed. Sean is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree and is also the head coach for the Kennedy High School girls and boys swim teams. As Mark’s son, he’s grown up with an interest in the law and criminal law in particular. HIP welcomes Sean to the team.

CHARGES DISMISSED! One of Mark's clients, was recently exonerated and all charges were dismissed prior to trial. The young man was falsely accused of indecent exposure and child molestation based on faulty eyewitness identification. Mark and his investigator, Larry Daly, were able to confirm the client's whereabouts and obtain statements from the alibi witnesses. Prosecutors dismissed the charges after review of materials provided by the defense team. See an article about the case at http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ken/news/90997714.html

Mark Prothero, partner with the Kent law firm of Hanis Irvine Prothero, has been appointed by Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire to the Washington State Forensic Investigation Council (FIC). The Council is a 13-person board that provides oversight of the State’s crime laboratories. Other members include the Chief of the Washington State Patrol, the prosecuting attorneys for Whatcom County and Kittitas County, the Walla Walla County Sheriff, the City of Connell Police Chief, the Kitsap County Coroner, and the Clark County Medical Examiner. Mark is the first criminal defense attorney to be appointed to the FIC.

Mark had an article published in the November 2009 issue of DEFENSE magazine, "A Call to Arms: The 2009 NAS report on forensic science provides new tools for the defense bar" discussing the impact of the NAS report on criminal cases. Click here to read the article http://www.wacdl.org/briefpdf/DEF0911-5.pdf (Part I) and http://www.wacdl.org/briefpdf/DEF0911-9.pdf (Part II)

In April of 2009, Mark had an article on forensic DNA and the Innocence Project published in the Kent Reporter. Click here to read the article, "Forensic DNA, the search for the truth, and innocence".

Mark recently had an article published in Washington Criminal Defense magazine about the Glenn Proctor case.

Click on graphic to download the article.

Wrongfully accused of murder, Federal Way man released

On January 15, 2009, Glenn Proctor of Federal Way was released from jail where he had been held for 11 months awaiting trial on a murder he did not commit. Prosecutor Don Raz dismissed the case against Glenn after defense attorneys Diane Zumwalt and Mark Prothero provided evidence to convince the prosecutor's office they had the wrong man. Zumwalt was appointed to represent Proctor in March and enlisted Prothero in mid-June. They retained a forensic media and technology specialist, Dr. Thomas Sandor, of Renton. Dr. Sandor was able to clarify and enhance surveillance video from the scene of the homicide. By utilizing "relative cranial measurements" Dr. Sandor was able to help establish that Glenn Proctor was not the murderer. For more information about this case, here are some links to the news stories:

Wrongly accused man says he's not bitter
By LINDA BYRON / KING 5 News
After a year in jail, man becomes key witness to Federal Way homicide
By JACINDA HOWARD / Federal Way Mirror Reporter
Cleared of murder, a second life begins
By LEVI PULKKINEN /P-I REPORTER

Mark Prothero, Glenn Proctor, and Diane Zumwalt

Mark was quoted in an article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

January 24, 2008 - article on a new board game based on serial murder trivia Click here to read more.

"In April 2006, Greg Girard and Mark Prothero were named "2006 Trial Lawyers of the Year" by the Western Washington edition of "Presumed Innocent" magazine.

In May of 2006, Prothero and Girard prevailed in the Washington Supreme Court in the case of State v. Hanson. The court's unanimous 9-0 ruling guarantees expert witnesses at public expense for indigent clients represented by privately-retained or pro bono counsel. The case was consolidated with another defendant, well-represented by Steve Witchley of Ellis, Holmes, and Witchley, PLLC, a Seattle criminal defense firm. Mr. Witchley presented the oral argument and did an excellent job.

Mark was featured in the Seattle Times Sports section on 2/13/07. Click here to see the article.

Mark wrote a guest editorial about capital punishment that was published in the King County Journal on September 20, 2006. Click here to view the editorial.

Mark wrote a guest editorial about capital punishment that was published in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer on October 10, 2006. Click here to view the editorial.

In June, Mark was named one of Washington State's criminal defense SUPERLAWYERS for the fifth consecutive year. For more information about this honor, see www.superlawyers.com.
The Green River Killer's Lawyer - Super Lawyer 2010 - Learn More

Hanis Irvine Prothero recently competed in a food drive to benefit the Kent Food Bank. Over two tons of food was donated to the food bank. Here's the link to an article in the Kent Reporter: www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ken/community/28068544.html

Mark had an article on false confessions published in the Kent Reporter recently. Here's the article.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SPEAKER

For many years, Mark has been making presentations to various groups on different topics dealing with criminal justice. He has spoken to a wide variety of audiences, including students in high school, community college, university, and law school, bar associations and lawyers, prosecutors, court clerks, court reporters, judges, Rotary and Kiwanis groups, and fund-raisers for non-profit foundations.

Topics:

Behind-the-Scenes of the Defense of the Green River Killer
Capital Punishment
Forensic Science in the Criminal Justice System
Forensic DNA in the Criminal Justice System
Trial Etiquette and Ethics

STATE OF WASHINGTON v. GARY RIDGWAY
The Defense of the Green River Killer

The Green River murders involved at least 49 victims, young women who had been murdered or had disappeared from 1982 to 1984. My twenty years of experience, especially with death penalty cases and cases involving DNA, put me in the position of co-lead counsel

2006-05-31

One after another, the Green River killer admitted he took the lives of more than 70 young women. The hunt for a suspect galvanized the Seattle-Tacoma area for more than 25 years. Finally the killer had a face: Gary Ridgway. The new novel "Defending Gary" describes the search for justice through the eyes of Mark Prothero, Ridgway's defense attorney.

Click Here to find out more about Mark Prothero's book Defending Gary: Unraveling the Mind of the Green River Killer

Attorney's new book takes you to Ridgway's murder trial Gary Ridgway's attorney attempts to explain motives
The Seattle Times, 06/02/06

Green River killer's defense lawyer pens new book
Northwest Cable News, May 31, 2006

References:

Shannon Henderson, Kentwood High School - "This talk, accompanied by a superb PowerPoint project, sparked in my students an excitement in the field of law...I highly recommend Mark Prothero and his presentation as a highly educational experience. He has the ability to positively impact and educate our youth."

Ed Donnerstein, Dean, University of Arizona College of Social and Behavioral Sciences - "The lecture provided a fascinating insider's perspective that most would never be able to obtain. In addition, many students, faculty, and community members in attendance that day have mentioned to me how impressed they were with the presentation."

If you or someone you know would be interested in having Mark speak to a group, please contact him regarding dates.

Mark and his wife Kelly are very proud of their two kids, Sean and Marley. Sean is a swim coach, college student, and part-time intern at Hanis Irvine Prothero. Swimming for the Rebels of UNLV, Marley was named to the 2009-2010 Mountain West All-Conference Women's Swim Team as well as the Mountain West Conference All-Academic Team based on her performance her sophomore year at the conference championships. She placed 3rd in the 400 IM, 5th in the 200 breast, and 7th in the 500 free. She has also been selected a co-captain for the 2010-11 season.

This past June (2010), Mark finished as the 3rd overall individual fundraiser in the Kent Relay for Life, raising money for cancer research. Overall, HIP law firm raised over $12,000 for the cause.

HELPFUL LINKS

OTHER RESOURCES

Contact Mark W. Prothero Today
Toll Free: 1-866-691-7937 (24 hrs)