DUI - Driving Under the Influence

John Brody has successfully defended hundreds of clients charged with driving under the influence in Kitsap and Mason Counties for the past 32 years.  He has kept them out of jail.  He has also kept them on the road.  This is no small accomplishment in the State of Washington.  A person charged with driving under the influence in the State of Washington faces some of the toughest, most complicated penalties  in the nation.

A DUI conviction, even if you have no criminal history at all, carries mandatory jail time, nearly a thousand dollars in fines and court costs, and other mandatory penalties. It carries five years of probation and court-supervised drug or alcohol treatment.  You will be required to install an Ignition Interlock Device in your car and may even be restricted to your home for a number of days with an electronic home monitoring device if you are found guilty.  Anyone charged with DUI is subject to losing their license for at least 90 days, and must buy high risk insurance for three years. If you have been convicted of DUI, or been granted a deferred prosecution in the last seven years, a DUI charge carries at least 30 days in jail. A prior DUI arrest counts against you even if it was ultimately reduced to a lesser offense, like Negligent or Reckless Driving. In some cases, it counts against you even it was dismissed.

In Washington, the Department of Licensing suspends the driver’s license of any driver who is arrested for DUI and has a BAC  > .08, or who refuses to submit to a BAC test.  This is entirely separate from what happens in the criminal action. Even if you are not charged in court with DUI, you will still lose your license if you don’t act quickly. You will lose your right to challenge the suspension if you don’t act within 20 days of the incident. Suspensions / revocations can range from 90 days to 4 years for a DUI arrest, even if a jury finds you not guilty.

You should have an attorney with you from the first minute you appear in front of the judge.

Obviously, you will want the best, most experienced attorney to represent you in this very serious matter.   Call John P. Brody, Jr. at 360-876-6858 to hire that attorney.