WA State DUI Lawyer David M. Lux

You CAN fight your WA State DUI charge!

Being arrested or charged with a WA State DUI is always a nightmare.  No one wakes up in the morning with the intention of being stopped by Washington State law enforcement and then have their entire life ripped apart.  It's important to understand, however, that a drunk driving arrest or WA State DUI criminal charge is NOT a conviction. 

That's where we come into the picture.  If you are like most of your clients, you have a lot of questions regarding your WA State DUI.  What's going to happen next?  How is my WA State DUI charge going to affect my life, my family, and my career?  Am I going to go to jail?  Is my license going to be suspended?

Most WA State DUI or Washington drunk driving cases can be attacked and challenged on multiple fronts.  You just have to know what to look for when reviewing the police reports and interviewing witnesses.  Our WA State DUI attorneys are experienced Washington criminal defense lawyers.

We are here to help answer all of these questions while also getting between you and the state.  We are experienced WA State DUI attorneys who will aggressively protect your legal rights and fight to minimize any consequences that might result from your DUI arrest.

Experienced WA State DUI Attorneys.

Being arrested for DUI in Washington State is a nightmare.  For most of our clients, it's the first time they have ever been caught in the gears of our criminal justice system.  Here's what you need to know.  Washington's DWI laws are extremely tough.

Even if this is your first offense, if you are convicted on a charge of WA State DUI, you will be sentenced to the following:

• Mandatory Jail of 24 to 48 hours (All WA State DUI convictions have a mandatory jail sentence of at least 24 hours)
  
• Mandatory License Suspension (Minimum suspension period is 90 days)
• Mandatory Ignition Interlock Device Requirement (Often called a "Blow and Go" device - Minimum period is one year)
• Mandatory Drug and Alcohol Evaluation
• Mandatory Drug and Alcohol Treatment pursuant to all Evaluation Recommendations
• Mandatory Attendance at a Victim Impact Panel
• Mandatory Fines, Costs, Assessments, and Probation Fees (usually from $850.00 to $2,000.00)
• Mandatory SR-22 Insurance to reinstate your driving privileges

Washington State's DUI conviction laws do NOT have any back doors, except in very rare and narrow circumstances.  If you are convicted of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants in WA State, the judge is required by law to impose the minimum sentence detailed above. 

As a result, a WA State DUI conviction can have dramatic consequences.  Although your actual WA State DUI criminal case may only last a few month, the long-term consequences can last for many years.  And, again, the judge has almost no discretion when sentencing someone for a WA State DUI conviction, except in very, very limited circumstances.



I've been arrested for Washington State DUI.  What happens now?

If you have recently been arrested or charged with a WA State DUI, there are several things that you need to know.  First, if you either provided a breath sample above .08 or you allegedly refused to provide a sample, it is critical that you properly challenge the Washington State Department of Licensing proposed suspension.

Upon being released from custody.  You should have received a WA State DUI hearing request form.  If you do not properly fill out and mail in the Washington DUI Driver's Hearing Request Form, your license will almost certainly be suspended for a period of at least 90 days. 

If you have questions about this form or the WA State DUI arrest hearing process, we invite you to call our offices and speak with on of our experienced Washington drunk driving lawyers.  For many of our clients, the DOL hearing is the first issue they must face after their WA Driving Under the Influence arrest.



How does the WA State DUI criminal process work?

At some point after your arrest, you will be required to appear in court at your arraignment.  If you did not receive a court date at the time of your arrest, you will receive a Summons in the mail indicating that you are being charged under our WA State DUI law.  At your arraignment, the most significant thing that will happen is that you will plead not guilty and another court date will be set.

The next court date regarding your WA State DUI charge is typically a Pre-trial Hearing.  If your case is resolved through plea negotiations, you will enter your plea and may also be sentenced at this hearing.  It is not uncommon, however, for your Pre-trial Hearing to be continued one or more times while your WA State DUI case is being reviewed, investigated, and negotiated.

If your case cannot be resolved by negotiations, it will be set for trial.  Prior to your trial, we will bring a variety of motions to try and suppress various pieces of evidence in your case.  Many WA State DUI cases settle after the motions hearing.  If your case remains unresolved after your motions hearing, it will proceed to a jury trial before six people from the local community in the jurisdiction that the driving occurred.

How can we help with your WA State DUI charge?

A good Washington State DUI attorney can do many things to challenge your drunk driving charge.  We literally look for hundreds of issues in every case.  WA DWI law is complicated.  The good news, however, is that most WA drunk driving charges can be fought.  We have never seen a "perfect" WA State DUI arrest report.

Every WA State DUI case is unique.  And, every case is very fact specific.  If you have questions about your WA State DUI arrest, we invite you to call our offices and learn more about your legal rights and how we can help.  We can go over the basic facts of your case and explain how Washington State DUI law works. 

You can then make an informed decision about how to proceed.

WA State DUI Attorneys

Seattle | Tacoma | Everett

Call now for a free consultation
(206) 682-8383 - Seattle
(253) 627-2828 - Tacoma
(425) 953-4337 - Everett