Lewis v. Department of Licensing

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Fairhurst, J.

In these four consolidated cases, the petitioners (drivers), who were all charged with driving under the influence (DUI), challenge two Court of Appeals decisions holding that recordings made during their traffic stops were admissible. The drivers argue that the police officers who stopped them did not properly inform the drivers that the officers were recording their conversations. We review whether Washington’s privacy act, chapter 9.73 RCW, protects conversations that occur between police officers and detainees during traffic stops and, if so, what remedy should be applied…