by cooneylaw | Jun 25, 2024 | Criminal Defense, DUI
You can get a DUI in Washington State while driving almost any type of vehicle. Most DUI’s occur when someone consumes too much alcohol at a restaurant or social event and tries to drive their car home. Law enforcement often pulls them over for speeding or failure to...
by cooneylaw | Jun 4, 2024 | Criminal Defense, DUI
A DUI arrest in Spokane usually triggers a First Appearance court hearing the next business day. At this initial hearing the judge will read your rights and the consequences of a DUI conviction, which may include jail time, fines, loss of driver’s license, ignition...
by cooneylaw | May 28, 2024 | Criminal Defense, DUI
The Washington State DUI Sentencing Grid details the mandatory minimum penalties for misdemeanor convictions. There is a different sentencing structure for felony DUI’s, which are relatively rare. The misdemeanor grid is split into columns by “prior offenses” and rows...
by cooneylaw | Apr 23, 2024 | Criminal Defense, DUI
An experienced DUI attorney can guide you through the legal process and minimize the damage of the criminal charge. From explaining early deadlines to mapping out trial strategy, a DUI attorney relieves the fear of the unknown and helps you focus on family during this...
by cooneylaw | Mar 12, 2024 | Criminal Defense, DUI
Baby DUI refers to the criminal charge of Driver Under Twenty-one Consuming Alcohol or Marijuana. This is a different charge from an adult DUI and the consequences can be different, too. Those facing a Baby DUI still have to fight two separate cases: a court case and...
by cooneylaw | Feb 27, 2024 | Criminal Defense, DUI
Washington State DUI law sets the legal limit for alcohol at .08 if you’re 21 or older. There is talk in Olympia about lowering this limit. Setting a legal limit implies drivers can legally drive with some amount of alcohol in their body, but it can be confusing....
by cooneylaw | Feb 6, 2024 | Criminal Defense, DUI
Folks accused of one DUI often face another later in life. An old DUI arrest within the past seven years will most likely count as a prior offense sentence enhancer, but you must analyze both the date and court resolution to be sure. In a prior blog post we addressed...
by cooneylaw | Jan 30, 2024 | Criminal Defense, DUI
Washington State DUI laws set mandatory minimum penalties for convictions, including higher penalties if there are priors within 7 years. To determine whether a misdemeanor DUI is a first, second or third offense you must look at the dates of other DUI arrests, dates...
by cooneylaw | Jan 2, 2024 | Criminal Defense, DUI
Most folks accused of DUI in Spokane have a 7-day deadline to try to save their driver license through a Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) case. This DOL case is independent from the court case, which means you can win one and lose the other. The 7-day...
by cooneylaw | Dec 26, 2023 | Criminal Defense, DUI
Roadside DUI tests are voluntary in Washington State and most folks under investigation are better off refusing them. Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (FST’s) can be difficult to perform correctly under perfect environmental conditions. They’re even harder to pass...