Karen Ann Halverson

I hired Ms. Halverson to handle a Communication with a Minor for Immoral Purposes investigation and later charge. After what I assumed was a thorough case review, she told me that the State didn’t have any evidence because they were unable to access my phone, and that they needed the alleged victi...m to testify. Unfortunately, neither of those things were true. And if she had bothered to actually read the police report, she would have known that. I live out of state, so when I was charged, she had to appear at my arraignment without me being physically present. The probable cause statement contained flat out libel, with no supporting evidence other than the statements of an admitted drug addict and mentally ill liar, which Ms. Halverson did not object to. Additionally, the State also issued a ridiculous and unnecessary no-contact order which falsely insinuated that I had stalked or harassed the alleged victim. Not only did Ms. Halverson fail to object to that order, but she told me I needed to sign it and return it immediately, without explaining the ramifications of doing so. It wasn’t until several months later that I discovered just how serious those ramifications were. While reading through the paperwork preparing for trial, I discovered that the no-contact order contained a “no firearms” provision. I have been licensed to carry a firearm in 36 states for over 30 years, so needless to say, I was quite surprised and disturbed by this. So I called Ms. Halverson and asked her to have the NCO quashed. After she charged me to do so, she completely failed. A judge agreed that the firearms provision was unjustified and ordered that it be removed. Problem is Ms. Halverson didn’t see to it that actually happened; there are two boxes on the form regarding firearms, and the clerk only unchecked one. So through her negligence, she put me at risk of arrest for nearly four years. If that’s not “ineffective counsel” (or worse), I don’t know what is. But wait, there’s more. She told me she needed an additional $1500 to hire a private investigator to locate the alleged victim so she could interview her. What did that PI do for $1500 you ask? She called the alleged victim’s mother on the phone and asked if she knew where she was so she could talk to her. The same mother who called the police, plastered my name all over the internet, and showed up at my house with two thugs illegally and surreptitiously recording my housemate, threatening me, and accusing me of kidnapping her daughter! When I told her that was “a really dumb thing to do”, she quit – less than seven days before trial. In Washington State, employers can’t reject you from jobs because of your criminal record, but they can if they think you’re dangerous or violent, and that’s exactly what the two documents Ms. Halverson allowed into the record falsely imply. I know this, because I applied for a job, and when they discovered the charge, they sent someone to the courthouse to pull the file. A file which is publicly accessible to anyone with a computer for 50 cents. Ms. Halverson allowed the state to slander me on the record, got my firearms rights taken away over a non-violent and consensual conversation with someone whom I believed was of the age of consent (which the State does not dispute). Oh, and when the parents of the alleged victim plastered my name and photos all over the internet, got me fired from my six-figure job, and told their friends to “destroy my life”, she told me I couldn’t sue them, because it would “make things worse” (as if that were possible). And in one final blow, to add insult to injury, she had the nerve to send me a $700 bill for quitting. When you pay someone thousands of dollars to do a job and they screw things up more than they were beforehand, one would think that they would apologize, issue a full refund and do their best to clean up their mess. And I believe that’s exactly what Ms. Halverson should do in my case.

Attorney was mediocre in performance, drug the case out so long she almost let statue of limitations expire. Then had to file a law suit to keep from losing all chance at recovery. Then her negotiation skills were subpar, and I ended up with a very poor settlement. In the end I settled so I could ...end the thing once and for all and be done with my own attorney and her incompetence. Then I had to argue with her to get my own money. She kept telling me she would mail the check on X date, then did not do it. Then would give me another date, oops not then either, then gave me a bad tracking number. Completely unsatisfactory all the way around.