One of the top priorities when it comes to driver safety for the state of Washington is keeping drivers who are under the influence of alcohol off of the road. In order to try to make this a reality, legislators implement harsh rules and penalties to try to dissuade those who have had a few from getting in their cars. However, thousands of drivers are still arrested on DUI charges per year in Washington. If you have been arrested while driving under the influence, your life is certainly not over. In order to decide what your best plan of attack may be to fight your charges, the assistance of an experienced Seattle DUI attorney can be invaluable.

What is Hailey's Law 2.0?

The original Hailey's Law was a couple of years ago but was ruled to be unconstitutional by the Washington Supreme Court in October of 2019. After some revisions, the revamped version was signed into law on March 25, 2020, by Governor Inslee and will officially take effect on June 10. The law states that law enforcement officers are allowed to order that a vehicle be impounded when there are no reasonable alternatives after a driver has been stopped for driving under the influence. In addition, if an officer makes the decision that the car must be impounded in order to protect the driver and the public, then the vehicle must be impounded for a minimum of twelve hours.

The bill is named after Hailey Huntley, who was severely injured in a head-on collision with a drunk driver on the Mount Baker Highway in 2007. Huntley spent many long months after the accident moving through hospitals and rehabilitation facilities in order to heal and still had surgeries scheduled when the original law was passed in 2011. Earlier on that fateful night in 2007, the other driver involved in the crash had been arrested and cited for a DUI. However, the police officer left the vehicle at the scene and drove the driver home before giving her back her keys and telling her not to drive again until she had sobered up. She then disobeyed his orders, took a cab back to her car, and started driving again, whereupon she crossed the center line and collided with Hailey Huntley.

Hailey's Law is just one of the laws that could come into play if you are arrested with a DUI. Another wrinkle in Washington DUI law is the fact that the potential penalties will get higher and higher with each repeated conviction. In addition, there are enhanced penalties that come with the presence of child passengers and BAC levels that are well-above the legal limit.

Contact Steve Karimi Law Office Today

Fighting DUI charges can be a very stressful experience, but it is not something that you need to do on your own. Let Steve Karimi's experience as a prosecutor work for you as you go through this difficult time. For a free consultation, call 206-621-8777.