Wash. Rev. Code » Title 9 · Chapter 9.73
Revised Code of Washington

Wash. Rev. Code § 9.73.020 (2025)

Opening sealed letter

✓ laws through the 2025 session: 2026 session laws are not yet included
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section WA-LEGapp.leg.wa.gov JustiaTitle on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar
Every person who shall wilfully open or read, or cause to be opened or read, any sealed message, letter or telegram intended for another person, or publish the whole or any portion of such a message, letter or telegram, knowing it to have been opened or read without authority, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
[ 1909 c 249 s 411; RRS s 2663.]
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 4 cases, 2007–2014 · leading case: State v. Athan, 158 P.3d 27 (Wash. 2007).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
State v. Athan, 158 P.3d 27 (Wash. 2007). · cites it 6× “Athan was found guilty of second degree murder and sentenced to 10 to 20 years under pre-sentencing reform act guidelines.”
State v. Athan, 160 Wash. 2d 354 (2007). · cites it 6× “Athan was found guilty of second degree murder and sentenced to 10 to 20 years under presentencing reform act guidelines.”
State v. Roden, 321 P.3d 1183 (Wash. 2014). “RCW 9.73.020, which by its terms also applies after a communication has reached its destination, prohibits opening “any sealed message, letter or telegram intended for another person .”
State v. Roden, No. 87669-0 (Wash. Feb. 27, 2014). “RCW 9.73.020, which by its terms also applies after a communication has reached its destination, prohibits opening "any sealed message, letter or telegram intended for another person .”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.