Docket No. 85729-6 (from King Case No. 08-7-01089-7)  Facts:  The respondent Department of Social and Health Services petitioned the Superior Court for King County to terminate the parental rights of petitioner Nyakat Luak with regard to her sons M.S.R. and T.S.R. on grounds that Luak suffers from psychological incapacities and mental deficiencies so severe and chronic as to render her unable to provide proper care for her children.  Following a trial, Luak’s parental rights were terminated on the basis of the trial court’s findings that the state had expressly and understandably offered Luak services to correct her parental deficiencies and that there was little likelihood that these deficiencies could be corrected in the foreseeable future.  Luak appealed the trial court’s decision, asserting that these findings were not supported by sufficient evidence and that not appointing counsel to represent the children during the proceedings denied them their constitutional right to counsel. Continue reading →

Docket No. 85765-2 (from King Case No. 09-1-04983-8)  Facts:  Petitioner Roosevelt Johnson was convicted of attempted promotion of commercial sexual abuse of a minor in the Superior Court for King County after recruiting two undercover police officers posing as minors to work as prostitutes.  Johnson appealed his conviction on grounds that because his intended victims were in actuality both adults there was insufficient evidence to convict him of attempted promotion of commercial sexual abuse of a minor. Continue reading →