Bradley Lane, a State Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor, claims that the number of impaired drivers in Washington appears to be trending upward. Apparently, the government is seeing an incremental increase year after year for DUI referrals to Washington’s tox lab. The incremental increase could be related to a confluence of many issues, including access to fentanyl and lingering problems post COVID-19 pandemic.
In light of this, Washington state continues to work towards clamping down on repeat offenders. House Bill 1493 was enacted this year. The bill was, and is, viewed as a catch-all bill. The law made several changes to our state DUI statutes. For example, state law now allows for a second deferred prosecution, which used to only be available once in a life time. The bill also increased the felony look-back period from 10 to 15 years.
Next on the agenda is to - finally - pass a lower BAC legal limit, that being .05 from .08, like the State of Utah. Would such a modification to our laws be effective? Some say, ‘yes’. Others say, ‘no’. To date, the modification hasn’t passed the eye test. Undaunted, MADD will be make its 5th attempt to have the .05 limit passed into law this year. Time will tell if they are finally successful, stay tuned on that front.
If you or a loved one is in a bind as a result of a criminal allegation, immediately contact a Seattle Criminal Attorney. A Seattle Criminal Defense Attorney is not going to judge you and understands that everyone makes mistakes. Hiring a Seattle Criminal Lawyer to help can – at a minimum – reduce penalties and can help direct people on how to best deal with their criminal charge, and sometimes even get them dismissed. So, it should go without saying that someone cited for a crime should hire a qualified Seattle criminal lawyer as soon as possible. Criminal charges can cause havoc on a person’s personal and professional life. Anyone charged with a criminal case in Washington State should immediately seek the assistance of a seasoned Seattle Criminal Lawyer. SQ Attorneys can be reached at (425) 359-3791 and/or (206) 441-0900.