DUI Court Process
Drunk Driving and DUI Defense Lawyers in Seattle, Washington
At
Seattle Washington DUI Attorneys our experienced
attorneys can guide those charged with
DUI through the administrative hearing and court processes related
to their case. It is important to have an experienced lawyer acting on
your behalf in these cases, as we are often able to discover errors
related to the prosecution of your case that may be used in your
defense.
At Seattle Washington DUI Attorneys our lawyers have successfully defended
the rights of clients in Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Everett, and Puget
Sound, and King, Pierce and Snohomish counties and other counties
throughout Washington State in DUI administrative hearings and court
proceedings. The two processes are outlined below.
Administrative Hearings
When you have been charged with civil DUI, you are entitled to an
administrative hearing before the Department of Licensing. This is your
opportunity to defend yourself against the civil DUI charge. A law
enforcement officer should have given you a Hearing Request form at the
time of your arrest. That form must be returned to the Department of
Licensing within 30 days of your arrest or your request will not be
granted. The Hearing Officer will make a ruling on whether your license
should be suspended, revoked, or if the charges against you should be
dropped. The decisions made in your administrative hearing relate to
that hearing only, and do not apply to any criminal DUI charges against
you. Your lawyer may be present at this hearing. In fact, we strongly
recommend it.
Criminal Cases
The court process of DUI proceeds in the same manner as other cases
involving criminal charges. The first step is an arraignment, when the
charges against you will be read and you will enter your plea (typically
"not guilty"). The judge will then set the conditions of your release,
impose bail, or order you to remain in jail. You may then be subjected
to a number of pre-trial court appearances in which motions may be
scheduled, a plea may be entered, or your readiness to stand trial may
be assessed. Finally, if a plea agreement is not reached, your case
proceeds to trial where evidence will be presented on both sides, and a
judge or jury determines your guilt or innocence. The attorneys at
Seattle DUI Attorneys are aggressive in the courtroom, and will go
to the limit to defend you in your DUI case.
If you have been charged with criminal DUI, you should secure
representation from an experienced DUI defense lawyer as soon as
possible. Call Seattle DUI Attorneys to schedule a
free initial consultation today.
Other Helpful Resource Links
|
