No longer backlog on DUI filing in King County

A year ago if you were arrested for a DUI in King County by a Washington State Patrol Officer then it would take anywhere from 3-6 months before you had your first court date. This was due to the delayed filing by the Prosecutors Office in King County when it came to DUI cases. However nowadays there is no longer a backlog of DUI cases and once a Trooper makes an arrest that charge is going to be filed within a few weeks. So what does this mean?

Here is a common scenario. Let’s say you decide to go out in the Fremont area of Seattle. You’re having a good time with some friends, you have a few drinks and you think you’re being responsible by limiting yourself. When the bar closes you decide that you’re fine to drive and head home on Leary Way (commonly referred to as the kill zone due to the high number of DUI arrests) and you get stopped for a Seattle DUI by a Target Zero Task Force Trooper.

The Trooper asks you to do the field sobriety tests and portable breath test. You ultimately get arrested and now you’re facing a DUI charge in King County. This new filing policy for King County DUI’s will affect you in several ways.

First due to the fact your DUI charge will be filed within a few weeks. It puts a lot of pressure on you to find the best Seattle DUI lawyer you can as quickly as possible. You may not get to meet with all the DUI lawyers you want due to the time constraints so it is important to do as much research as you can on your own about the lawyers before you meet with them.

Secondly you will have to get your alcohol and drug assessment much sooner than you prior. At a cost of $150-$200 if you have a tight budget due to hiring a DUI lawyer then this will just create an extra financial burden that you did not have to deal with so quickly before.

Lastly you need to prepare yourself mentally to deal with all the court stuff. The most common thing I hear from my clients is how difficult it is to adjust to going to Court every month and the feeling of being a “criminal” that comes with that. A year ago people would not have to worry about this so soon and would have time to mentally prepare for Court.

I’m sure there are some other factors that will now come into play due to this new filing policy. But in my opinion as a DUI lawyer these are the biggest I anticipate happening.

_
Matthew Leyba is a DUI lawyer in the Seattle Bellevue area of Western WA. His practice is focused on representing those accused of DUI and other traffic offenses. If you have been charged with a DUI in King County contact Leyba Defense PLLC for a free consultation.