All crimes in the State of Washington are defined by what the maximum possible penalty a judge can impose for such a crime. 

Washington State Felonies are classified into three very distinct groups - Class A, Class B and Class C.  Class A is the worst charge an individual can face; the classes of Felonies have varying penalties and their sentencing ranges are guided by the Washington State Sentencing Reform Act.  In a nutshell, a class A felony carries with it a maximum penalty of life in prison and/or a fine up to a $50,000, a class B felony carries with it a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and/or a fine up to a $20,000, and a class C felony carries with it a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and/or a fine up to $10,000 fine.

Washington State Gross misdemeanors, including DUI/DWI, have a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a fine of $5,000.00.
 
Washington State Misdemeanors, including Possession of Marijuana and/or Drug Paraphernalia, have a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a fine of $1,000.00.
 
Some crimes in Washington State have mandatory minimum penalties which prohibit judges from sentencing someone to less than a predetermined penalty if that person is convicted of a specific offense. These mandatory minimum penalties are specifically laid out by the Washington State legislature and are based on certain pre-determined factors. For example, when evaluating what someone’s sentence will be if convicted for Driving Under the Influence in Washington, judges, prosecutors and defense counsel must consider: the number of prior DUI offenses (or the like) in the last seven to ten years, whether or not the individual took the breath/ blood test, and if he/she did take a breath/ blood test, what the test results indicated on the breath/ blood test ticket.

The Seattle criminal attorneys that make up the criminal defense team of SQ Attorneys is specifically dedicated to providing aggressive representation for those charged with, or otherwise accused of, crime in Western Washington.  If you or a loved one is charged with a crime in King County, Pierce County, Snohomish  County, Kitsap County, Thurston County or one of the following cities or towns: Algona, Bellevue, Black Diamond, Bonney Lake, Bothell, Burien, Des Moines, Duvall, Edmonds, Enumclaw, Everett, Federal Way, Hunts Point, Issaquah, Kenmore, Kent, Kirkland, Lake Forest Park, Lake Stevens, Lakewood, Lynnwood, Maple Valley, Marysville, Medina, Mercer Island, Monroe, Mountlake Terrace, North Bend, Puyallup, Redmond, Renton, Sammamish, Sea Tac, Seattle, Shoreline, Snohomish, Tacoma, Tukwila, University Place, and/or Woodinville, or any other city or town in Western Washington, call the Seattle criminal lawyers that make up the criminal defense team of SQ Attorneys at (206) 441-0900 for an initial free consultation.