Being charged with your first DUI (Driving Under the Influence) in Washington State is a stressful experience. Understanding the process can ease your nerves. In Kitsap County and Thurston County, DUI cases follow Washington’s standard procedures, but there are local…
Many clients believe that if a past criminal charge was reduced to a lesser offense, dismissed after a deferred prosecution, occurred as a juvenile, or otherwise resolved without a conviction, it no longer exists for future legal purposes. Unfortunately, that…
Miranda warnings were established by the U.S. Supreme Court in Miranda v. Arizona (1966) and are designed to inform individuals of their constitutional rights before they are interrogated while in police custody. The goal of Miranda warnings is to protect…
There is no longer a requirement to sign a traffic ticket in Washington for the ticket to be valid. Drivers from other states are often confused by this and think they have some authority to “refuse” the ticket. And, while…
Pretrial and Omnibus hearings are both procedural steps in the criminal justice system, but they serve different purposes and occur at different stages in the process. Generally speaking, you will only hear the term Omnibus in Superior Court for a…
When a person is charged with a crime, there are several aspects to the case that a criminal defense attorney must evaluate critically. Two important factors include whether (1) the proper procedures were followed from investigation and prior to arrest…
When the criminal rules of evidence refer to evidence being “relevant and admissible,” it’s discussing two key criteria for determining whether evidence can be presented in court. Relevance Evidence is considered relevant if it has a tendency to make a…
What Is Probable Cause And Can I Challenge It? Probable Cause is a simple and yet tricky legal term. For defense attorneys, it is often a frustrating “gray” area that seems to frequently morph in favor of law enforcement. The…
