Shira Stefanik provides the detail-oriented defense you need to challenge breath results, blood draws, and refusals, and accidents.
Seattle DUI Lawyer - Law Office of Shira J. Stefanik
DUI Seattle, Washington
Washington State has harsh penalties for DUI convictions. Even on a first offense, you are facing mandatory jail time, mandatory fees, alcohol/drug treatment, license suspension, and installing an Ignition Interlock Device (sometimes called a “blow and go”) on the cars you drive. But, the police and the state toxicology lab have to follow the law too. In this area of law, police officers and government scientists often times cut corners and make mistakes. Contact me and we can discuss options for fighting your DUI charge.
Physical Control
The charge of Physical Control is a DUI where the car is not moving, so similar harsh penalties apply to a Physical Control conviction. In some cases, there might be a defense that you were Safely Off the Roadway, which means you pulled over before you were contacted by police. If the jury agrees with this defense, they can find you Not Guilty, even if your breath or blood was over the legal limit while you were in physical control of the car. Contact me and we can discuss options for fighting your Physical Control charge.
Department of Licensing hearings
When you are arrested for DUI or Physical Control, police will send notice to the Department of Licensing and your license will be automatically suspended or revoked unless you take immediate action. You have 7 days from when you are arrested to request a hearing with the Department of Licensing to contest your license suspension. This is different from the license suspension or revocation that will happen if you are convicted in criminal court. Because the DOL hearing is civil, the government is allowed to try to take your license twice for the same arrest, and this is not a violation of double jeopardy.
Once you request a hearing, the DOL has 30 business days to schedule your hearing. 30 business days means that the government has close to six calendar weeks to schedule your hearing, even though you only had one week to request.
Contact me to help balance out these skewed proceedings, and we can form a plan to defend against a Department of Licensing action.
Other Practices
- Felony DUI
- Vehicular Assault
- Vehicular Homicide
- Reckless Driving
- Negligent Driving
- Ignition Interlock violations and Driving While License Suspended
- Violation of a No-Contact Order
- Theft
- Shoplifting
- Trespassing
- Cyber Crimes
- Financial Crimes
- Possession of Stolen Property
- Violent Crimes
- Robbery
- Burglary
- Growing Marijuana/Cannabis
- Marijuana/Cannabis DUIs
- Marijuana Asset Forfeiture
- Cannabis Business/Legal Cannabis