If you've been viewing Law and Order, Boston Legal, Murphy Brown, or several of the other legal programs on television (but certainly not the Seattle Criminal Attorney's Blog!), or if you've talked to anyone that has had legal dilemma before, then you recognize a little bit regarding how the course of action works. Initially, your DUI defense lawyer in Seattle is going to (or should) undertake an in-depth look at your situation, including the police reports, some film that exists, and questioning some witnesses that may exist. Second, they are going to have you obtain an alcohol assessment, which, depending on what it states, will have an consequence on the course of the plea talks. After that, they'll call the prosecutor and see what they can work out.
But what are the choices? What is achievable? From the very start it is vital to appreciate that Washington DUI laws (and driving under the influence laws across the country) are some of the most tough when it comes to plea bargaining. No lawmaker desires to be responsible for releasing a drunk driver who goes out and drives drunk once more and causes damage (even though people can drive without a driver's license). This makes it pretty arduous to plea bargain with the prosecutor, specifically to get a DUI charge lower to something lesser. But there are several options. earlier I get on track, it is vital to bear in mind that the judge doesn't have to take a plea bargain. The court can always impose their own penalty.
Firstly, it may be achievable to persuade the prosecutor to prosecute your DUI as a first drunk driving even though you have a earlier infraction in the preceding 7 years. This allows your Seattle drunk driving attorney to get a reduced sentence, lower fines, and lower driver's license revocation (though this will frequently not have an effect on the administrative driver's license revocation as they work independently of the prosecutor's office).
Next, it may be doable to get several of the accompanying accusations dismissed. If you were pulled over for a cracked tail light, this may not seem like much. But if your drunk driving allegation is accompanied with leaving the scene of an crash, fleeing and alluding, or something related, getting those dropped can be a good outcome.
Third, in some cases, when the prosecutor's state of affairs is comparatively weak, you might be able to plead down the DUI to reckless driving. This is advantageous for the reason that it reduces the driving suspension, there is no mandatory jail time, and there is no ignition interlock prerequisite. It will require the high risk insurance, but if your license has already been revoked administratively, you have to have that anyway. If you can get negligent driving 1st degree, you do not even have to have the high risk insurance, and nearly all insurers treat it as a couple of speeding tickets, if they spot it at all.
In some occasion, if you desire to get the best deal, you've got to find a drunk driving attorney in Seattle that is dependable, honest, and has a high-quality reputation at the prosecutor's office (for being a straight shooter, not necessarily a person the prosecutor likes). If your driving under the influence lawyer brags concerning pulling one over on the prosecutor's office, you can bet that either the prosecutor is going to see through it, or the criminal attorney in Seattle has done it previously, and you are not going to be helped because of it. Lawyering is an art and a science, but if you don't have trustworthiness, you won't get that much desired benefit of the doubt. It could result in a much harsher sentence than was originally likely.
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