Types of Cases at CCOPD

Cases We Handle

  • Felony criminal charges filed in Cowlitz County Superior Court.  This includes representation in the felony Drug and Mental Health Therapeutic Courts.   
  • Possession of Controlled Substance convictions that need to be vacated or in which the person needs to be resentenced following the ruling in State v. Blake, 197 Wn.2d 170, 481 P.3d 521 (2021),
  • Misdemeanor criminal offenses that carry a possible jail sentence, which are filed in the District or Superior Courts of Cowlitz County.
  • Probation violations in felony cases and "show cause" hearings in misdemeanor cases.
  • Juvenile delinquency (criminal) cases filed in the Juvenile Division of Cowlitz County Superior Court.
  • Civil commitment cases involving individuals who are placed against their will in locked treatment facilities because of mental health or substance use disorder allegations.
  • Children involved in "At Risk Youth" or "Children in Need of Services" petitions which are also held in the juvenile division.
  • Contempt of court involving the failure to make child support payments.
  • Parents in Uniform Guardianship Act (UGA) proceedings.  
  • Individuals in Extended Foster Care following termination of parental rights and reaching a certain age.   

Cases We Do Not Handle

  • Federal cases.
  • Child Representation in dependency cases (where the government asks to remove a child from the parents care) in the Juvenile Division of Cowlitz County Superior Court. Those cases are contracted to Morgan Law Office. Children whose parental rights have been terminated are represented by a different attorney contracted through the Washington State Office of Civil Legal Aid (OCLA).  
  • Traffic infraction that cannot result in jail time as a punishment, unless associated with a criminal charge.
  • Clients charged with a crime in the municipal courts of Castle Rock, Kalama, Kelso, Longview, or Woodland.
  • Appeals of any kind.
  • Cases outside of Cowlitz County.
  • Property forfeiture cases, even if the police took your cash or property in connection with a charge we are representing you on.
  • Department of Licensing (DOL) hearings regarding your driver's license, even if we are representing you on the case the license revocation is based on.
  • Children in UGA cases.