Representing Clients Throughout Spokane Valley & Spokane County
Being arrested and charged with DUI can be a life-changing event. You likely are overcome by negative emotions, from anxiety about the future to embarrassment, fear, or regret. Unfortunately, these may deter you from taking positive action, which you will need to do to properly address your case.
The best step you can take is to seek the counsel of a respected attorney who is skilled in DUI defense. DUI is a complex area of law involving police procedure, roadside sobriety testing, and a combination of science and technology pertaining to equipment and testing. It is important to rely on an attorney who is experienced in this. At Clark Law, P.L.L.C., we know how to investigate all factors to ensure your case gets a thorough and aggressive defense.
Connect with our Spokane DUI attorney at Clark Law, P.L.L.C. for a free case review. Call (509) 800-5420 or use our online request form.
Defense for Charges of Driving Under the Influence
You can be charged with DUI under the following scenarios:
Your blood alcohol content (BAC) measured .08% or higher
Your blood measured a THC concentration of five nanograms or more per milliliter
You drove under the influence of alcohol, drugs, marijuana, or a combination that impaired your ability to operate your vehicle (despite your alcohol or drug testing measurements)
Washington State also outlaws being in actual physical control of a vehicle while intoxicated, which means that even if the vehicle isn't moving, you still might be charged with a crime.
How you will be charged and the penalties you will face will depend on the facts and circumstances of your arrest and whether you have any previous DUI convictions within the seven years before your arrest.
First-offense DUIs are charged as gross misdemeanors. These carry mandatory minimum sentences that must be imposed and cannot be reduced by judges.
Penalties can include:
A fine of $990 to $5,000
24 hours to 364 days in jail
Up to Five Years of Probation
90-day to One Year License suspension
One Year Mandatory installation and use of an ignition interlock device
Three years of SR-22 auto insurance
If your BAC measured 0.15% or higher, penalties can include fines of $500 to $5,000, up to 364 days in jails, 30 days of house arrest, and/or 120 days in the alcohol/testing sobriety program. These enhanced penalties also apply to those who refuse to take breath or blood tests.
Drugged Driving
You can be charged with drugged driving for ingesting marijuana, prescription drugs, or illegal street drugs. No specific limits for prescription or illegal drugs have been established by law. However, the prosecutor can use blood tests and field sobriety tests to prove that you were intoxicated and thus impaired.
Felony DUI
With each subsequent DUI conviction, penalties will increase, even if your prior DUI was reduced to reckless or negligent driving, With a fourth or subsequent DUI within ten years, you will be charged with a felony. You may also be charged with felony DUI if your offense involved vehicular assault or vehicular homicide.
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