J Scott Miller Law Offices

11/08/2025

Washington voters - there are a few very close elections in which ballots are still being tallied and the final result might depend on a few ballots that weren't counted because of technical errors. You can check to be sure your ballot was counted at this official website:

Drop your signed ballot at an official drop box or return by mail, no stamp needed. In-person services and accessible voting devices are available through your local elections office or voting center until election day, 8 p.m.

11/02/2025

Washington voters - you can check to see if your ballot was received here:

Drop your signed ballot at an official drop box or return by mail, no stamp needed. In-person services and accessible voting devices are available through your local elections office or voting center until election day, 8 p.m.

09/19/2022

Spokane County Voters - we desperately need a 13th Superior Court Judge. The State Legislature approved this back in 1997 but the County Commissioners have never voted to approve. . When asked if the current candidates support adding another judge, here are the results:
Plese - yes
Jordan - inclined to support
Cathcart - yes
Waldref - inclined to support
Schreiner - no response
Kerns - no response
Noble - yes
Kuney - no response
Yates - yes
French - no response

In my opinion any candidate that doesn't see the desperate need for another judge doesn't deserve your vote. So please vote for a candidate that supports adding another judge.

08/02/2022

A Spokane man was recently found guilty of insurance fraud after his case went to trial in Spokane County Superior Court.

Ivan Kriger (also known as Evaun Syrah Solomon), of Spokane, Wash., was recently convicted of insurance fraud for a case investigated by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU). The jury in Spokane County found Kriger guilty of attempted first degree theft and filing a fraudulent insurance claim. Kriger was also ordered to serve 10 days in jail, six months in community custody and pay $800 in court fees.

According to CIU's investigation, Kriger filed a claim with Grange Insurance stating that a pipe had burst in a house he was renovating and caused $18,886.50 worth of damage. Grange investigated and found that the house had been declared a nuisance property by the City of Spokane and had previously been boarded up. All the damages were pre-existing Kriger’s purchase of the property and could not have been caused by a burst pipe since the water had been shut off by the Spokane Water Department prior to the supposed loss. Grange insurance denied the water claim and referred it over to CIU, as required by state law.

05/31/2022

Fourteen health insurers filed an average requested rate increase of 7.16% for Washington's individual health insurance market. The plans and proposed rates are currently under review and final decisions will be made this fall.

People who do not get health insurance coverage from their employer shop for insurance in the individual market. Premium subsidies are available, based on income through Washington's Exchange, www.wahealthplanfinder.org.

An estimated 223,202 people in Washington are currently enrolled in health plans through the individual market.

See the proposed 2023 health insurers and plans by county: https://www.insurance.wa.gov/news/fourteen-insurers-request-average-716-rate-increase-2023-individual-health-insurance-market?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=

Washington state health insurance have requested an average 7.16% rate change for the 2023 Individual health insurance market. The rates are currently under review and expected to be final later this fall.

05/26/2022

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Cindy Castaneda of Othello, WA was charged with insurance fraud in King County Superior Court for filing a fraudulent insurance claim after investigations completed by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU).

CIU’s investigation found Castaneda had purchased an auto insurance policy with Progressive for her 2007 Tiffin Motorhome in June 2020. Later that summer, Castaneda reported that the trailer she was pulling jackknifed when she was backing up, causing damage to the rear of her motorhome. She filed a claim with Progressive to repair the damage, estimated at $15,209.59.

Further investigation revealed Castaneda had dropped the motorhome off at Coach Masters of Bend Inc. in Bend, Oregon for warranty repair work in February 2020 and the motorhome had remained at the facility until September 2020.

When Progressive questioned Castaneda about the motorhome being in the repair facility at the time of loss, Castaneda withdrew her claim. Progressive then referred the case over to CIU as required by state law.

Kreidler’s CIU investigates insurance fraud and works with the Washington State Patrol and state and local prosecutors on criminal cases. Insurance fraud costs the average family $400 to $700 per year in increased premiums. Insurance companies are required by law to report fraud to the commissioner.

If you suspect someone has committed insurance fraud, report it to Kreidler’s investigators.

Find out how you can report insurance fraud and scams in Washington state to the Office of the Insurance Commissioner's Criminal Investigations Unit.

05/02/2022

We have moved! We are now in Suite 711 of the Paulsen Center (421 W. Riverside, Spokane).

03/31/2022

03/31/2022

03/31/2022

In 1948 the US Supreme Court ruled that racially discriminatory covenants in property deeds were unenforceable. (Shelley v. Kraemer). Since then courts have refused to enforce the covenants, but the offensive language remains as part of the legal description.

Today (03/31/2022) the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that property owners cannot require county Auditors to remove discriminatory covenants from deeds that are already recorded. The Court noted:
"Removing all traces of these discriminatory covenants would not effectuate the legislature's intent to eradicate discrimination ... It would be all too easy for future generations to look back at these property records with no physical evidence of the discriminatory covenants and conclude that the covenants never existed at all."

BUT the state Supreme Court also ruled today that based on an amendment to RCW 49.60.227 passed in 2021 property owners can now re-record a deed that removes the discriminatory covenant, provided the original language is attached as an exhibit to show what was removed.

12/21/2021

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson has announced that the claims process is now open as a result of his successful civil rights case against Greyhound Lines Inc. Greyhound passengers detained, arrested or deported after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents approached them, or boarded their Greyhound bus, at the Spokane Intermodal Center are eligible for a share of $2.2 million Greyhound paid to resolve Ferguson’s lawsuit. Claims are due by March 31, 2022.

Since at least 2013, Greyhound allowed CBP agents to board its buses to conduct warrantless and suspicionless immigration sweeps. Greyhound failed to warn customers of the sweeps, misrepresented its role in allowing the sweeps to occur and subjected its passengers to discrimination based on race, skin color or national origin.

Washington filed a civil rights lawsuit against the national bus line company in Spokane County Superior Court in 2020. As a result of the case, Greyhound was required to change its policy and must deny CBP agents permission to board its buses without warrants or reasonable suspicion in the State of Washington, among other reforms. Greyhound was also required to pay $2.2 million, which provides restitution to those impacted by Greyhound’s unlawful conduct.

If you or a family member were detained, arrested or deported after immigration agents approached you, or boarded your Greyhound bus, at the Spokane Intermodal Center, please contact the Attorney General’s Office. Online claim forms are available at atg.wa.gov/greyhound in both English and Spanish. Claim forms can be submitted online, by email, via WhatsApp or by mail. There are four ways to submit claims:

• Fill out the online form in English or Spanish at atg.wa.gov/greyhound
• Email the completed form to [email protected]
• Message the completed form using WhatsApp to 206-518-2723
• Mail the completed form to: Washington State Greyhound Claims c/o Greyhound Team, 800 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2000, Seattle, WA 98104

The amount of restitution each individual receives will depend on the number of claims and the severity of harms suffered due to Greyhound’s unlawful conduct. Claims are due by March 31, 2022. After reviewing the claims, and following up for additional information as necessary, the state expects to begin issuing checks by summer of 2022.

People with questions can contact the Attorney General’s Office by phone at 1-833-660-4877 (choose option 8 from the main menu), or by email at [email protected]