In the case of one Spokane man, the bear parts do not make up the sum of a felony.

Appellate judges on Tuesday overturned the felony wildlife trafficking conviction of 52-year-old Jason M. Yon, after he paid $800 for four bear gallbladders in 2008 to undercover Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officers.

Yon’s attorney, Richard Lee, successfully argued that his client should not have been convicted of a felony because state law sets a dollar figure of $250 per purchase of parts from big game animals. Yon bought two gallbladders in September and another two in October 2008 for $200 each.

Read the rest of Tom Clouse's story here.

The murder conviction against a Spokane woman who claimed she killed her husband in self defense after years of forced prostitution has been thrown out by a state appeals court.

In a 3-0 ruling, the appellate court’s 3rd division ordered a new trial for Shellye L. Stark, who is serving a 51-year prison sentence for the Dec. 9, 2007, shooting death of Dale R. Stark at 1620 S. Maple on Spokane’s South Hill.

The judges found fault with the trial court’s jury instructions and other legal technicalities.

Read my full story here.

Click here for past coverage. (I covered every day of the trial.)