Richard K Petersen

Richard K Petersen

5.0
Rating: 9.6

Licensed for 19 years

State, local, and municipal law Lawyer Practice Areas: State, Local And Municipal Law
This attorney is currently not accepting new clients.
Reason: Government Attorney

About Richard

Practice Areas

1

Practice Area

State, Local, and Municipal Law 100%

Felony Deputy Prosecutor

100%

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer


Looking for an attorney? Avvo can help.

search module image

Search our directory

Quickly connect with top attorneys through our legal directory to get help with your legal issue.

chat module image

Avvo's live chat agents can help coordinate a consultation with a local attorney.

Chat with a live agent who can match you with the right attorney for your legal needs.

Chat with

Licenses

Licensed in Washington for 19 years

State: Washington

Acquired: 2006

Active

No misconduct found

Location

No contact information is available for this lawyer

Ad

Transform legal challenges into solutions.

Connect now to review your situation.

The Avvo Rating explained

display-bg

The Avvo Rating explained

Richard K Petersen's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

2 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (2) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.
Star rating
5 stars 2
4 stars 0
3 stars 0
2 stars 0
1 star 0
Practice Areas

Showing 1 - 1 of 1 review | Compassion

Posted by anonymous | July 15, 2014 | Criminal Defense

Compassionate and Aggressive

Mr. Petersen took time to listen to my concerns and was incredibly responsive. He is compassionate and aggressive. He has an excellent understanding of the legal system. His familiarity with the professionals in Clallam County led to a speedy resolution and I could not be happier with his service...s. The charge was dismissed! I strongly recommend Mr. Petersen without hesitation. The staff at Aaron M. Lukoff & Associates were also very helpful, plus they have cool T-Shirts. THANK YOU!

See All Client Reviews

Richard K Petersen's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Richard
Jason Anstruther Smith headshot
Jason Smith

Criminal defense lawyer | May 15

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I've had the pleasure of observing Rick as both a public defender for the City of Bellingham and as private counsel. Rick's energetic, passionate and humorous demeanor puts his clients at ease. Rick is well respected by the defense bar as well as opposing counsel. He has a wealth of experience in all matters relating to criminal defense and his experience as a former prosecutor allows him to really dig into a case from both perspectives. I endorse Rick without hesitation."

Emily Caitlin Beschen headshot
Emily Beschen

Criminal defense lawyer | Jun 04

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"Rick is a fantastic attorney. It is obvious that he cares about his clients, and is very skilled at arguing complex legal issues. I recommend him without hesitation."

David B Greenspan headshot
David Greenspan

Criminal defense lawyer | May 19

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"Rick is the kind of criminal defense lawyer people should feel lucky to have on their side. He is as passionate and dedicated to the principles of justice as any attorney I have ever had the pleasure of working with. His style is not only competent, but creative and driven. He is knowledgeable, professional, and manages to maintain an excellent sense of humor in all of his dealings. Rick and I worked side by side as courtroom opponents for several months, and I can confidently say that much of my style as a defender now was inspired by him."

Sean D Mckee headshot
Sean Mckee

Criminal defense lawyer | May 15

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Rick is an excellent lawyer. Back in the day when we both worked together as Public Defenders for Whatcom County I could always count on Rick for good advice and a fresh perspective. Rick's ability to deal with the most difficult clients and difficult cases is top notch. His experience as a prosecutor helps him see things that other attorneys can miss when reviewing facts and police reports. He is aggressive and fights hard for his client no matter what. If you want someone to roll over and take the easy way out of a case you certainly have the wrong guy. I endorse Rick Petersen fully and sincerely."

Rajeev D Majumdar headshot
Rajeev Majumdar

Criminal defense lawyer | May 14

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Rick is the kind of lawyer that other lawyers seek advice from. Unlike many lawyers, Rick has worked both sides of the criminal law world. After becoming a veteran defense attorney doing and qualified to do "Class A" felony defense work, he became a prosecutor. In both roles he was a zealous advocate with a keen grasp of trial skills, negotiation and legal precedent. In welcoming him back to the defense bar, I think it is really the community that has gained a great advocate. Any client should count themselves lucky to be in Rick's diligent care. In addition, he is an outstanding human being: He is the kind of lawyer that a lawyer would want to hire for their own defense."

Adrian Martinez Madrone headshot
Adrian Madrone

Criminal defense lawyer | May 14

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I have known Rick Petersen for several years. He is versatile, dedicated, and effective in his work. I recommend him without hesitation."

Jeffrey Alan Lustick headshot
Jeffrey Lustick

Criminal defense lawyer | May 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Rick is one of my all time favorite lawyers. As a trial advocate, his courtroom presentation skills are top notch. He is always well prepared and accurately versed in the law. Within our local legal community, he is a well respected senior attorney. On a personal side, he is friendly and has a good sense of humor. I am glad to have Rick as a colleague of mine."

View All Endorsements
Jason Anstruther Smith headshot
Jason Smith

Criminal defense lawyer

David B Greenspan headshot
David Greenspan

Criminal defense lawyer

Sean D Mckee headshot
Sean Mckee

Criminal defense lawyer

Patrick Terrance Lackie headshot
Patrick Lackie

Criminal defense lawyer

Experience

Rating:  9.6 (Superb)

Honors

2003

Magna Charta Book Prize, Magna Charta Dames and Barons

2003

phi beta kappa, phi beta kappa

2002

Mary Gates Foundation, Mary Gates Fellowship

Work Experience

2017 - Present

Felony Deputy Prosecutor, Grays Harbor County Prosecuting Attorney's Office

2016 - 2017

Managing Attorney, Rick Petersen, Attorney at Law PLLC

2014 - 2016

Associate, Law Offices of Aaron Lukoff and Assoc. PLLC

2013 - 2014

Supervising Attorney, Bellingham Assigned Counsel

2011 - 2013

Assistant City Attorney, City of Bellingham

2009 - 2010

Felony Defender II, Whatcom County Public Defender

2007 - 2009

Felony Attorney and District Court Superviser, Clallam Public Defender

2006 - 2007

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, Clallam County Prosecutor's Office

2005 - 2006

Judicial Law Clerk/Co-Drug Court Coordinator, Seventh Judicial District Court, Ely Nevada

Associations

2014 - Present

Washington Defender Association

Member

2014 - Present

Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

member

Sample of Legal Cases

State v. Monaghan

Case overturned on appeal and conviction vacated.

State v. Ramos

Conviction vacated due to prosecutorial misconduct during trial. Client served about 18 monts of a roughly 6 year sentence.

State v. Toth

Case overturned on appeal for prosecutorial misconduct. Defendant ultimately pleaded to a lesser and served only 18 months of a 5 year sentence.

State v. Jackson

State v. O'Grady

Case overturned on appeal following trial. Client served roughly 18 months of a 60 month sentence

See More Legal Cases

Education

2005

University of Washington School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

2002

University of Washington

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution