In you have been arrested for DUI in Washington, then you likely already know the steep penalties you face. Many people may not be aware, however, that the more prior offenses that an offender has, the steeper the penalties they face. In Washington anyone who has been previously convicted of DUI in the past 7 years will face higher fines and longer periods of jail and license suspension. The more prior convictions one has, the steeper the penalties will be. Lawmakers look to crackdown on anyone who has prior DUI convictions because repeat offenders are more likely to cause serious accidents.

A local Fox news affiliate reports a story of a young woman who was sentenced for her third DUI crime in only a few years. The story began when Dawn Vrentas was just 18 years old. She was then convicted in 2003 after she crashed her car into a pond, killing two of her friends. For this offense she served five and a half years in prison. She was reported to have done well in prison and even became a tutor to other inmates. In 2013, she was again pulled over by police and, this time, found to have a blood alcohol level that was more than twice the legal limit. She was sentenced to 22 months in prison and will have to complete 12 months of community service, wear an alcohol detection device and use an ignition interlock device when driving.

Family members of the deceased victims feel that her initial jail sentence was obviously not long enough for Vrentas to learn her lesson and that she still has issues with alcohol. It also illustrates why law officials feel that repeat offenders are a continuing dangers to the public. If you or a family member has been arrested for DUI in Seattle and has a prior conviction for DUI, it is vital that you call a DUI defense lawyer right away.