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Laws against driving under the influence (DUI) can be extremely severe. Subjecting people to steep fines, a lengthy license suspension, and possibly even jail time for what may have been a one time mistake can seem unnecessarily harsh in some cases. However, these are only the criminal and admini...

Something that not everyone is aware of, when it comes to drunk driving laws, is that the legal drinking age does not necessarily have to be 21. Criminal laws, like those for driving under the influence (DUI), are state laws, not federal ones. As a result, states have the ability to choose whethe...

There are a handful of things that are required in order for you to legally drive on the roads of the United States. Many states not only require you to pass the driver's test and maintain a valid driver's license, but also make you prove that you have insurance on your vehicle. Washington is one...

If you get arrested and charged for drunk driving – also known as driving under the influence, or DUI – in Washington or any other state, one of the biggest pieces of evidence that will be used against you will be your blood alcohol content (BAC). In fact, there are cases where a BAC that is abov...

Despite being one of the most common crimes committed in the United States and in the state of Washington, a charge for driving under the influence (DUI) can seem confusing and convoluted to many who do not know the ins and outs of the system. This is not through any fault of someone trying to ma...

Washington may see steeper penalties for those who are convicted of multiple DUIs. Currently, in order to be convicted of a felony DUI, a driver must have been convicted four or more times prior within a certain set period of time. Only then does a DUI become a class C felony, punishable by up to...

It is not a secret to anyone that driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol is a very serious crime. Let's imagine a hypothetical situation. You're at a bar with your friends and you've had a few drinks. To play it safe tonight, you didn't drive. Instead, you rode a bike out to the b...

Names like K2, Spice, AK-47, Wicked X, Serenity, and Paradise may sound like street names for a new illegal drug. Believe it or not, these names are actually brands of something you can buy at pretty much any local convenience store: synthetic marijuana. Synthetic marijuana, or as it is more comm...

In recent years social media has become a huge part of our society. Many people use websites and apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat to record events occurring in their daily lives. New social media websites and apps are being developed all the time. One such app that was recently...

New Years Eve: the time of year when people from all over ring in the forthcoming year with joyous celebration and, of course, rampant partying. It should be no surprise that this holiday is considered the biggest drinking night of the year. As such, it should be expected that most people, in an ...

A Seattle woman is facing charges after events this past Monday. A Seattle Times report writes that a woman was driving in SeaTac when she hit two men. Reports say she hit the both of them and ended up dragging the both of them, and possibly running over one of the two men. Both men were taken to...

ou're out at the bar with some friends for a brief get together, you don't intend on staying long, but there are some people here you haven't seen in a while. Just one more beer couldn't hurt; after all, you know your limits better than anyone else. When it's time to go home you're left with the ...

Earlier this month, a video released by NBC news showed a crowd of bystanders tackling a Bellevue driver suspected of driving under the influence, after he rammed seven cars, tried to escape his vehicle, and tried to carjack another one. The video was recorded by a witness passerby. It shows a ma...

Since one ounce of personal marijuana was legalized by Proposition I-502 in 2012, it seems as though the rate of marijuana DUIs and marijuana related car crashes have increased. According to a study by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (“WTSC”), the number of drivers involved in deadly cra...

Driving on a suspended license ("DWLS") in Washington State is the most charged criminal traffic offense in the state. Although DUIs typically come to mind whenever one's license is suspended, there are many reasons one's license may be suspended, ranging from: failure to pay traffic citations, e...

Many first time DUI offenders may be granted a probationary period in lieu of jail time, especially if you have no criminal record and low-risk of committing another crime. The terms of probation will vary from case to case, but may come with other requirements such as a mandatory drug treatment ...

It is no secret by now there is an array of extensive and confusing laws in Washington that address driving under the influence (DUIs). Washington remains amongst the toughest state on DUI offenders. If you are over 21 and pulled over and blow over .08% (the legal limit), you are at risk for stif...

Last month brought the much anticipated ‘bias' training for police forces all over the country, in the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles (at the Museum of Tolerance).  While the nation was crumbling under the wake of protests, U.S. Justice Department's (“DOJ”) Community Oriented Policing Ser...

St. Patricks' Day in Seattle was a wonderful day of parades, celebrating and enjoying local pubs, it serves as yet another reminder that drinking and driving is simply not worth it. March 17 has become a notorious day for first responders and law enforcement officials alike, as the National Highw...

One of the keystones of our judicial system is our long-standing tradition that a criminal defendant receives complete notice of the accusations against them. In Washington, those charged with crimes receive what is known as charging information, or a charging document, so that they know what charges they face and what elements they require so that they can defend themselves. If this charging information does not list the essential elements of the crime, it is constitutionally defective under the U.S. Constitution. Division Two of the Court of Appeals of Washington recently released an opinion that offers insight into what charging information needs to include.

Earlier, I posted a blog about State v. Hernandez, a decision by Division Three of the Court of Appeals of Washington that further muddied the waters pertaining to what prior convictions a trial court can consider to calculate the defendant’s offender score. Today, I will talk about another interesting aspect of that case, the propriety of forcing someone convicted of a felony DUI to keep an ignition interlock device (IID) installed their vehicle beyond the statutory maximum.

From time to time, a judicial opinion is released that is so informative that it is worthy of two blog posts. A recent decision released by Division Three of the Court of Appeals of Washington, because the depth into which it discusses sentencing guidelines, does just that.

Most arrests for DUI start out as traffic stops for something else. Perhaps an officer sees that you have a light out or expired tags. Or, in the case of this story, perhaps the officer observes you cross the center line... once. The Court of Appeals recently released an opinion discussing the intersection—pun intended—of two traffic laws. One regulates which side of the road a car should travel on. The other regulates in what circumstances a car can travel outside its lane.

A pedestrian footbridge over Longfellow Creek in North Delridge is expected to be closed for several weeks after being severely damaged by a Highland Park resident who has been charged with DUI and reckless endangerment. Early on the morning of Friday, December 19, police who reported to the scene of an accident found that a truck had crashed through a footbridge into Longfellow Creek. Both the driver and the passenger were able to leave the truck on their own. One was treated for minor facial injuries.

An interesting case from Bainbridge Island demonstrates that one does not have to injure someone outside of their vehicle to be charged with vehicular assault when they are also charged with a DUI.