Washington DUI Blog

Washington State is slowly moving forward with plans to deploy new DUI breath testing machines.  The state has already purchased a number of machines, the Draeger 9510, and is in the process of testing them before deploying them to be used in actual DUI arrests.  The state is buying new breath test machines because the ...

As of June 10, 2010, Washington State has a new cell phone law.  The publicity surrounding this law has mainly focused on the fact that the new law changes cell phone violations from a “secondary offense” for which a police officer may not stop you, to a “primary offense” for which a police officer may ...

Every year, Washington State legislature amends the DUI laws in an effort to make the DUI laws even tougher or to “tune up ” the laws. This year’s legislative session resulted in the passage of HB 3124, a law that went into effect June 10, 2010. The law requires that a police officer who ...

I recently finished a trial in Bellingham Municipal Court. The charge was Disorderly Conduct. The situation was this: my client was out with some friends in Bellingham. They were out in the street getting ready to head home at the end of the night when three young men began hassling them, harassing them, and calling ...

Experience has shown that many DUI arrests result from the police stopping a car for reasons that have nothing to do with driving under the influence. For instance, many DUI arrests in Washington State result from an investigation following an officer stopping a vehicle for speeding, failing to use a signal, or similar ...

Question:
I am 20 years old and recently got a DUI. My license is suspended for one year. Will I be able to go to the bar when I turn 21?

Answer:
The first thing to consider is whether you are allowed to enter a bar at all based ...

One of the relatively unknown aspects of Washington State DUI law is that the penalties for violations of certain mandatory requirements of probation will result in mandatory sentences that the judge must impose. Take the case of an individual for whom this is the first DUI conviction. Either one or two days of jail time ...

For some people, it makes sense to enter into a deferred prosecution after getting charged with a DUI in Washington. To qualify for a deferred prosecution, chemical addiction or alcoholism must play a significant part in why you broke the law. After acknowledging this, you must commit to a significant program of chemical dependency treatment. ...

Recent happenings (March, 2010) reveal some unusual defenses to DUI charges. First, there was the decision of the Court of Appeals in State of Washington vs. Richard Charles Tracer, No. 37812-4-II. This was a Washington State DUI/Vehicular Assault case where the Court of Appeals discussed the propriety of the legal procedure employed by the trial ...

If you have been arrested for a DUI in Whatcom County or the City of Bellingham it's likely that you have been placed on pretrial supervision. This means that you are reporting to a probation officer while your case is pending ...