My sister was accused of DUI here in Washington and her DUI lawyer is in the process of reviewing her case. I heard that she was not read his Miranda rights during the arrest or something. What will happen to her DUI case now, will it be dismissed?

Elias

Spokane, WA

Unfortunately, your sister’s DUI case in Spokane, Washington would not be dismissed if she was not read her Miranda rights. The Miranda warnings should be given if the person accused for DUI is already under “custodial interrogation.” If the person is under custody, he/she will not be free to leave or terminate the investigation. Interrogation would be the direct questions or their functional equivalent designed to elicit incriminating information.

While there is no debate that the questions that are asked by the police officer are an ‘interrogation,’ it has been decided by the courts that most of the questions directed to the DUI suspects are asked before the person is in custody for the purposes of Miranda. In other words, in most DUI cases, there is no legal obligation for the officer to advise the DUI suspect of his/her rights. If there is a Miranda violation, it would merely result in the suppression of statements that are obtained as the result of the violation.

My cousin was arrested for DUI here in East Seattle, Washington and he told me that his lawyer visited the place where he was arrested. Is it necessary for the lawyer to personally check out the arrest location?

Brynn

East Seattle, WA

Visiting the arrest location can be exceedingly crucial in your cousin’s DUI case in East Seattle, Washington. A good DUI defense lawyer usually takes pictures of the spot where the tests were given. The reason behind this is to point out that the particular location made the field sobriety tests difficult to perform. An example is that if there was a heavy traffic speeding by on a highway or if the of the road used for the roadside test is slanted because a slanting road automatically make the field sobriety tests more difficult to perform. Another thing is that a winding road may be able to explain erratic driving.

Seeing and knowing these things would make it much easier for your cousin’s DUI lawyer to ask probing questions about the field sobriety tests and in some cases, point out a physical impossibility to the jury. Another example is that the officer may testify that your cousin wove too many times on the road but there could not have been enough time for him to weave many times in a given stretch of road. There also could have been obstacles preventing him from driving with two wheels on the sidewalk.

I know that it is necessary for me to get a DUI lawyer to defend me in my DUI case here in Washington. But what are the things that I need to know when hiring a DUI lawyer?

Stephanie

Enumclaw Plateau, WA

The first thing that you would need to take note when hiring a lawyer to defend you on your DUI case in Washington is that the lawyer practices mainly on DUI cases. A lawyer who focuses his/her attention in DUI cases is what your really need because this kind of has knowledge and materials necessary for you to fight your DUI charge.

Next is that you also have to know if the lawyer is trustworthy. We know that some lawyers have a reputation for being money-hungry fast talkers. So, would you be comfortable in talking with this person? Make sure that the lawyer treat you with respect and is patient and upfront with you. If you don’t feel that the conversation is right, chances are that lawyer is not the one for you. Also, the DUI lawyer should explain exactly what he/she will do for you and would let you know if there are any extra charges for certain services, also known as “hidden fees.”

My son has been arrested because of a DUI offense in Everett, Washington. Many have emphasized about the importance of getting a lawyer to represent him on his case. But what can a lawyer do in my son’s case if they have hard evidence against him?

Fallon

Everett, WA

You should take your chances on your son’s case, Fallon, even if you think they have hard evidence against him. That’s more reason to get a good DUI lawyer to defend your son on his DUI case in Everett, Washington. The laws in the state of Washington are constantly under review and augments and revisions are constantly pending. You have to keep in mind that the consequences for DUI conviction have become very onerous so the old adage of “get a good lawyer” still holds true. Just think hard about this, your son’s financial well being, maybe including yours, as well as his mental well being is at stake.

Your son is risking much more than a differential in paying higher fines. He could be risking his liberty and his driving rights for many years, if not permanently that’s why having a qualified and competent Washington DUI lawyer is very critical at this point. Finding a DUI lawyer is not difficult and even negotiating a competitive rate is attainable because they know you can go just down the corridor. The bottom line here is the end result and the status of your son’s life going forward.

I was charged with DUI here in Washington. They say that I don’t need to hire a lawyer because this is just my first offense and it was just a minor one. But I still want to have a DUI help to make sure that I would be equipped with everything I need to get out of this or at least have a lower sentence. What are the ranges of fees and how do DUI lawyers charge their clients?

Jonathan

East Seattle, WA

A DUI in Washington State is a serious offense and must be taken seriously. Consequences of DUI may include loss of driver’s license, fines, vehicle immobilization, increase of insurance rate, community service and even imprisonment. Your decision of consulting and hiring a DUI lawyer would be a smart move.

Fees just go up depending on how severe your DUI violation is but they are sometimes minimal. The fees could range low as $500 dollars to thousands in cases of repeat offense.

DUI attorneys charge their clients differently. Some of these lawyers charge by the hour. Some lawyers will charge an initial fee to cover all the initial legal steps like reviewing the police report and the file from the district attorney and appearing on the first hearing. The fees end as well if at that stage that the DUI charges are dropped against you. Additional hearings, of course, would mean additional charges.

Other lawyers charge a fee to handle your case all the way to trial. Anyway, you pay them for everything if they are able to negotiate and dismiss the case.

Here is the situation; my dad was driving drunk on his way home to our Lakewood’s residence. A police pulled him over and charged him with DUI. Now, he is on trial waiting for his conviction. I want to know what are the possible punishments with regard to DUI in Washington.

Justin

Lakewood WA

Hi ya Justin,

Kinda a sad situation knowing about your dad facing a trial for DUI charges. My mom who loves to drink, was in the same footing with your dad right now. As far as I can remember, the Washington DUI lawyer that my mom hired told us, that the possible punishments that she will be facing will be the following:

1. Jail time (one year for first time offenders)
2. Fines ($5,000 for first time offenders)
3. Suspension or Revocation of Driver’s License
4. Electronic Home Detention
5. Ignition Interlock

A lot is at stake when being charged and convicted of DUI, right here at Washington. Just like my mom, she was a first time offender. She was in jail for a year and even had a fine of $5,000. If your dad is a first time offender, there is a greater chance of having same punishment as my mom did.

Don’t lose hope, your dad had a chance not to be convicted if he has the best Washington DUI lawyer to defend him and make sure to have all the possible remedies and apply the laws into your dad’s side. Winning the case is just a step away only if the Washington DUI lawyer your father hired is a competent one.

The agreement will tell you what your Bellevue Washington DWI lawyer is able to do for you, and at what price. It will include payment method, charges, and information on what your responsibilities are with the case that you need to do so that your lawyer can do what they need to do. Ask these questions:

• What will you be charging me for representation? How?
• In what way will I pay? Will you charge interest?
• Is a down payment required?
• Do charges vary? How?
• Is this fee agreement an estimate or a set quote?
• How high can it go? How low?
• How can I keep it as low as possible?

I see the phrase AV rated Kent Washington DUI lawyer a lot. What does this mean, that the lawyer has an AV rating?

Jenny

Kent Washington

Glad you asked.

An AV rating is simply that–a rating, and just because you see an AV rated Kent Washington DUI lawyer doesn’t mean you should jump immediately into their client pool, as these ratings can be both good and bad.

AV ratings are a system of ratings that are determined by lawyers to rate other lawyes, so someone who is AV rated has been judged by the law community. There are many things which may influence an AV rating, but the most important ones are a lawyer’s type and level of experience, and how good they are at defending their clients.

Typically, the highest rated AV rated Kent Washington DUI lawyer will also have high prices, since, well, they can. Because of this, you should probably only hire one if you have a ton of money or in very bad circumstances. Even so, there are many ways that an expensive attorney might be able to help you pay out what you owe.

–Fashun.

• Often times, a Washington DUI lawyer will send an assistant to do consultations while they get other work done. Don’t go to some incredibly busy office where this is necessary, but someone not to small and not too big you can speak to personally.
• Request a fee agreement and discuss it in detail with the lawyer. This is an estimate and could change, so talk about possible changes in charges as well.
• Check out the office and see what kind of degrees the lawyer has. Get numbers concerning the percentage of cases the lawyer takes on concerning DUI, and make sure you know how they usually end up.