Last year between November 21, 2012 – January 1, 2013 a total of 795 people were arrested in King County during what has now become a yearly DUI enforcement campaign. During that same period last year, a total of 3,446 people were arrested statewide during the annual “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign (hereinafter, the “Campaign”).
King County law enforcement agencies that participated in the Campaign included police departments in Auburn, Bellevue, Black Diamond, Burien, Clyde Hill, Covington, Des Moines, Duvall, Enumclaw, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kent, Kirkland, Maple Valley, Mercer Island, Newcastle, North Bend, Pacific, Redmond, Renton, Sammamish, Seatac, Seattle, Snoqualmie, Tukwila and Woodinville, as well as Port of Seattle police and the Washington State Patrol. The extra patrols were funded by a grant from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.
It is not a far stretch to presume that the Campaign will again be in full force in effect this holiday season. The crackdown may even be greater in scope due to the changes in DUI law that took effect September 28, 2013; due to a recent string of DUI fatalities and catastrophic injuries the government has indeed taken a very keen interest in punishing people who drive under the influence in Washington.
Our DUI laws are some of the strictest laws in the nation. Many good people find themselves facing some harsh consequences for being arrested and charged for a DUI. Hiring a Seattle DUI attorney to help can – at a minimum – reduce those penalties, and can help direct people on how to best deal with their DUI charge. So it should go without saying that someone cited for DUI should hire a qualified Seattle DUI attorney as soon as possible. Driving Under the Influence charges can cause havoc on a person’s personal and professional life. Anyone charged with DUI in Washington State should immediately seek the assistance of a seasoned Seattle DUI lawyer.