DUI Penalties in Washington

For adults, the legal blood-alcohol content limit is .08%. If you are caught measuring at or above that, you may be facing a DUI. Washington is considered to have the harshest penalties for DUI, categorizing it as a "gross misdemeanor," which are viewed more seriously than misdemeanor charges. The penalties can include time up to one year in jail, fines, and license suspension. In short, the state's penalties can be much stricter than others.

If you were charged with a DUI, you need to know what you might be up against. Consulting with one of our Spokane DUI attorneys at the Law Office of Steve Graham can help keep you informed of all the laws surrounding your charges. We offer legal assistance should you need to fight against your DUI charges!

Understanding DUI Charges

For a first time DUI offense, the penalties can still be fairly severe. The minimum jail time one could receive is 24 hours or 15 days of electronic home monitoring if your BAC was measured at less than 0.15%.

There are some of the other penalties for a first-time DUI offense, including:

• One year in jail maximum
• Fines ranging anywhere between $350 to $5,000
• License suspension for 90 days
• Mandatory ignition interlock device installation
• 5 years of probation

The more DUI offenses, the more these penalties increase. If someone has had three or more DUI convictions, they could even be facing felony charges. If there was an accident that caused another person's death, this can be charged as a class A felony as second degree vehicular manslaughter, and carries a minimum prison sentence of 15 to 20 months. If you face the possibility of any of these penalties, retain a Spokane DUI lawyer immediately for your own protection.

Enlist Experienced Legal Counsel

Attorney Steve Graham has been honing his legal skills for 20 years. His work as a former prosecutor has enabled him to gain great insight as to how cases are built against clients. He uses that knowledge to form counter strategies that allow for clients to get the best possible outcomes. If you would like to talk to an experienced criminal defense lawyer please call our office today, and we can talk about how we would be able to assist you. Also, please visit out page on your first DUI court appearance and also our DUI FAQ section