Top 10 Important Facts About Washington State DUI

There likely are two separate legal actions pending against you: 1) in criminal court, where you will be charged with a crime, and 2) in the Department of Licensing (DOL), where "administrative action" seeks to suspend your license (no matter what happens in court).

If you received a ticket, check it now to see if there is a date, time, and location listed for you to appear in court. In some Washington State jurisdictions the first court appearance can even be on a Saturday.
If you did not receive a ticket or if a court date is not written on your ticket, then the court will probably mail a notice of your court date to your address of record. It is imperative to begin establishing your DUI defense immediately, no matter when court is scheduled.
At your first appearance in court you will probably have to enter a plea, the court may set bail, and the judge may impose restrictions and conditions on your release such as alcohol treatment and attending AA meetings. An experienced lawyer can help you protect your interests at this hearing.
Some of the DUI penalties include fines, jail terms, electronic home monitoring, license suspension, license revocation, SR-22 insurance, automobile ignition interlock, alcohol treatment and more.

Regarding the DOL action:
- If a hole was punched in your driver's license, it means the DOL intends to suspend or revoke your license effective 60 days from your arrest.
- Your only chance to avoid the license suspension or revocation is to timely request an Administrative Hearing from the Department of Licensing. If you took a breath test or refused the test, that means that your hearing request must be postmarked within thirty days of the arrest.
- The DOL Hearing is your opportunity to argue against suspension or revocation. It is important to present arguments that the DOL will recognize as valid in order to have a chance to win this hearing.
- Administrative license penalties vary acording to the driver's record and include suspension for 90 days or revocation up to two years plus three years of SR-22 insurance.
If your case involves a blood test then there are specific (and possibly different) deadlines that apply. Your DUI defense attorney can advise you so that you will not miss a deadline.

Effective legal representation can make a significant difference in all these situations.

Fox Bowman Duarte has decades of collective experience in Washington courts defending citizens accused of DUI.

We would be pleased to meet with you to discuss your situation, the law, and the potential outcomes. This free consultation will provide you with the information you need to ease your anxiety about the situation.

We look forward to meeting you, answering your questions, and defending you against the perils of the system. You can contact us right now using our convenient contact system. Our attorneys are on-call 24 hours a day including weekends.