(1) Any person convicted of violating any of the provisions of this chapter or the rules and regulations issued thereunder or who shall impede, obstruct, hinder, or otherwise prevent or attempt to prevent the department in the performance of its duty in connection with the provisions of this chapter, shall be adjudged guilty of a misdemeanor as provided in RCW 9A.20.021. In all prosecutions under this chapter involving the composition of a lot of commercial feed, a certified copy of the official analysis signed by the department shall be accepted as prima facie evidence of the composition.

     (2) Any person convicted of intentionally violating RCW 15.53.902(4) or the rules issued thereunder is guilty of a gross misdemeanor as provided in RCW 9A.20.021.

     (3) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as requiring the department to report for prosecution or for the institution of seizure proceedings as a result of minor violations of this chapter when it believes that the public interest will be best served by a suitable notice of warning in writing.

     (4) It shall be the duty of each prosecuting attorney to whom any violation is reported to cause appropriate proceedings to be instituted and prosecuted in a court of competent jurisdiction without delay. Before the department reports a violation for such prosecution, an opportunity shall be given the distributor to present the distributor's view in writing or orally to the department.

     (5) The department is hereby authorized to apply for and the court to grant a temporary or permanent injunction restraining any person from violating or continuing to violate any of the provisions of this chapter or any rule or regulation promulgated under this chapter notwithstanding the existence of other remedies at law. Said injunction to be issued without bond.

[2005 c 40 § 2; 1965 ex.s. c 31 § 17.]

NOTES:

Analysis of official sample as evidence: RCW 15.53.9024.