Law Offices of J. Scott Miller, PS

01/13/2022

As a result of a lawsuit brought by the Washington Attorney General’s office, student loan servicer Navient will provide nearly $45 million in debt relief, restitution and costs. Navient (Sallie Mae offshoot that was then the nation’s largest student loan servicer) was accused of engaging in numerous unfair and deceptive practices harming Washington student loan borrowers.

The lawsuit settlement requires Navient to:
• Extend more than $35 million in debt relief, erasing the remaining debt of more than 1,400 Washingtonians who took out certain private student loans between 2002 and 2014 — an average of about $25,000 per person;
• Pay $2.3 million in restitution to approximately 8,900 Washington borrowers enrolled in forbearance for an extended period of time between 2009 and 2017; and
• Pay $7 million to Washington to cover costs from the complex, multiyear investigation and litigation, along with future enforcement of the state’s Consumer Protection Act.

Washingtonians do not need to take any action to receive these benefits. Borrowers receiving private loan debt cancellation will receive a notice from Navient, and they will receive refunds of any payments made on those loans after June 30, 2021.

Washingtonians who are eligible for a restitution payment will receive a postcard in the mail from the Attorney General’s settlement administrator in the next several months. Federal student loan borrowers who may be eligible for a restitution payment are encouraged to update their contact information in their studentaid.gov account or create an account if they do not already have one.

For more details and the most up-to-date information, please visit www.NavientAGSettlement.com.

10/27/2021

A federal jury determined that GEO Group Inc. (GEO), the for-profit operator of the Northwest ICE Processing Center, violates Washington’s minimum wage laws by paying detainee workers only $1 per day. The verdict concludes the first phase of a retrial in Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s lawsuit against GEO.

After a two-and-a-half-week trial, the jury decided the multi-billion dollar company must pay all its workers Washington’s minimum wage of $13.69 or more. Now, it is up to U.S. District Court Judge Robert Bryan to determine how much GEO unfairly gained from its wage law violations spanning more than 15 years.

GEO uses immigration detainee labor to perform virtually all non-security functions at Tacoma’s Northwest ICE Processing Center, formerly known as the Northwest Detention Center. Since at least 2005, GEO has paid thousands of detainee workers $1 per day or, in some instances, extra food for labor that is necessary to keep the facility operational. Washington’s current minimum wage is $13.69 per hour.

03/31/2019

WA Legal News (March 26, 2019)
Estate of Ryan v. Pierce County (Div. 2) - Teresa Ryan (age 15) was murdered by Austin Nelson (age 19) after she broke off their intimate relationship.

The relationship began in September. When Teresa's parents discovered the relationship they told her to stop, but she continued to see Nelson until January when she broke it off. Seven days later someone slashed her tires and broke the windows while her car was in the high school parking lot. The Sheriff's deputy that investigated the incident told Teresa that Nelson was "a very bad guy" and she should stay away from him.

Later that night Teresa's parents provided the deputy with contact information for Nelson, and reported that they suspected he was responsible for a burglary at their house the previous month. The deputies took the information but told the Ryans that it was unlikely anything could be done.

The next day Teresa received an anonymous text from an unknown number that threatened to post explicit photos and videos on the internet unless she provided drugs and money. The next day explicit photos and videos appeared on the internet.

Teresa's parents immediately reported the latest incident to the sheriff's deputy told the Ryans it would take a couple of days before a detective could be assigned.

Nelson shot Teresa the next day.

Washington law provides the police with immunity fro alleged negligent investigation, unless the evidence shows that the duty breached was owed to the plaintiff in particular and was not a breach of a duty owed to the public in general.

In this case the County never offered the Ryans any “express assurance” and the Ryans did not “justifiably rely” on such an assurance, the special relationship exception does not apply in this case. Therefore, the police had no liability.

03/15/2019

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I have practiced law for over 30 years, in state and federal courts in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. I provide legal services for business transactions, wills & trusts, litigation, and appeals.

07/18/2018

Get updates on the the latest cases from the Washington Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal at https://www.facebook.com/jscottmillerlaw/

I have practiced law for over 30 years, in state and federal courts in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. I provide legal services for business transactions, wills & trusts, litigation, and appeals.