Category: Uncategorized

Last weekend, while free on $75,000 bond pending an appeal for his 12th DUI conviction, a man (Dwight David Benson) crashed into the rear-end of another vehicle while apparently under the influence of alcohol. Mr. Benson could not recite the alphabet, and could not touch his fingers to his nose. Mr. Benson was arrested for: (1)… Continue Reading »

Seattle criminal defense attorneys are on notice that on Wednesday the Washington State House of Representatives passed a bill making it a criminal misdemeanor to ski in ski areas that are clearly marked as closed and hazardous. The bill applies to runs that are both out-of-bounds, and to runs that are in-bounds and have been intentionally… Continue Reading »

Intentionally failing to pay an employee for work performed is known as “wage theft”. Wage theft occurs when a worker performs his duties, and for one reason or another, his employer intentionally chooses to not pay for the work performed. Seattle criminal defense attorneys should be apprised that wage theft has become such a problem… Continue Reading »

DUI cases involving prescription drugs are often dependent on an officer’s subjective assessment of the driver’s intoxication. Police officers often initiate traffic stops for minor traffic violations in order to speak with the driver of the vehicle and look for signs of intoxication. When faced with a drug DUI in Washington, contact the Seattle DUI… Continue Reading »

As many Seattle DUI attorneys and Bellevue DUI attorneys know, over the past three months the Washington State Patrol (the, “WSP”) has been educating motorists about Washington State’s new Emergency Zone Law (the “EZL” – also known as the “Move Over Law”), which took effect on January 1, 2011.  As of Friday, April 1, 2011,… Continue Reading »

A criminal conviction can have grave consequences on one’s immigration status, and criminal defense attorneys in Washington have a legal obligation to advise a criminal defendant of the immigration consequences of a plea agreement or conviction. Immigration consequences are a collateral consequence to the criminal case, rather than direct, but nevertheless, all criminal charges can… Continue Reading »

Often in criminal cases involving driving under the influence and/or domestic violence there is documentation in the government’s possession that may be helpful to a defendant’s cause.  Unfortunately, the government is not always obligated to give the defendant or his counsel all helpful information in its possession.   An example of this is when a defendant requests something… Continue Reading »

On March 21, 2011 the public was informed that the Seattle Police Department (the “Department”) is investigating allegations that a specialty unit of police officers within the Department – know as “DUI Squad Officers” – mishandled a slew of DUI arrests in the City of Seattle. The Department has since pulled all but one of… Continue Reading »

Drivers charged with DUI in Washington should understand that a Breathalyzer — a breath-alcohol chemical test — is one of several pieces of evidence that can be used in a court of law. Passing a Breathalyzer does not guarantee a dismissal or charges not being filed, nor does failing such a test guarantee conviction. If… Continue Reading »

There are many reasons that people commit crimes. Often society just chalks it up to bad morals or evil intent or malice. However, as many Seattle criminal defense attorneys know, many (if not most) people who get caught committing a crime in Washington State are not “bad” people. They are actually good people who get… Continue Reading »