DUI attorneys and Seattle Municipal Court Judges
Attached is a link from this weeks Stranger Magazine. It discusses an interesting topic that affects all those accused of misdemeanor DUI offenses in Seattle Municipal Court and the DUI Attorneys that practice there.
Essentially the article discusses how a group of DUI Attorneys in Western Washington have created a political action committee called Citizens for Judicial Excellence and how that have raised over $200K from contributors to use in this next judicial election. The article suggests this political group is targeting Municipal and District Court Judges that are more harsh on DUI defendants.
As a Seattle DUI Attorney I can understand this group is just trying to protect their clients. Normally I don’t get involved in politics, but this is an area that affects my livelihood. Its been my experience over the years that there are some Judges, not just in King County but all over that seem to be more harsh than other Judges when it comes down to DUIs. Now the problem I have is not that these particular Judges are known to be strict, but its that some of these Judges do not seem to be impartial. I personally believe it is a great honor to be a Judge in the country. And as a Judge its an obligation to follow the law impartially and act free from bias. This is what our country was founded on, and this is what makes our judicial system work. So if a group of individuals would like to see changes in our judicial system, then I say go for it, and good luck. The beauty of democracy is ultimately the people of the City of Seattle, and King County will determine who sits on the bench next year.
Click here to see a copy of this article.