Lynnwood Driving Under the Influence of Drugs Defense Attorney

WHAT IS A DUID?

Many people do not realize that they can be arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) for driving under the influence of drugs - even legally prescribed drugs. There has been an explosion in the number of people charged with DUI - Drugs in Washington State over the past year as more and more officers are trained as Drug Recognition Experts (DREs) and are watching for signs of impairment even when there is little or no alcohol involved.

If you have been arrested for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and/or Drugs based upon medication or other drugs, you have likely been taken to a hospital to have your blood drawn. DUI-drugs cases usually take longer to be filed with the court as the prosecutor has to wait many weeks before getting the blood test results back from the Washington State Toxicologist.

Because of this delay, many people mistakenly believe that they are not going to be charged with a DUI because they have heard nothing from the court for a long time. Sadly, this is not the case. Prosecutors almost always charge a DUI- Drugs case once the blood results are in. If anything at all is in your blood, even legally prescribed medication, the prosecutor will likely file a DUI charge.

After all, there has to be some reason for the officer's observation of your poor driving and your poor performance on the field sobriety tests, right? It must have been the drugs you were on, not that you were nervous, or disabled, or in pain - the very reason you may have been prescribed the medication in the first place.

As you can see from the last sentence, there are many reasons why people may seem under the influence of drugs when in fact they are not. Because this is a new area of the law, and there are few toxicologists available to testify at trial, DUI - Drugs case have many defenses that are not available in the typical DUI - alcohol case.

Contact an experienced Lynnwood DUI Attorney!

We have received special training in the DUI drug area, including training in dealing with so-called Drug Recognition Expert officers (DREs). DRE officers have to follow a long multi-step procedure during their investigation or their testimony will not be allowed in court. Oftentimes a DRE officer skips a step or fails to follow some other requirement and thus, can be stopped from being allowed to testify as an expert. The newness of this area of the law often works to our advantage.

Rest assured, we know how to handle a Driving Under the Influence of Drugs case. We will do everything in our power to keep you out of jail, keep the DUI off of your record, and keep you from losing your license.

WHAT ARE THE PENALTIES FOR DUI OF DRUGS

The consequences of a Driving While Under the Influence of Drugs conviction is basically the same as an alcohol related DUI conviction. The maximum penalty for such a conviction is a $5000 fine and One Year in Jail. The mandatory minimum DUI penalties for such a conviction are the same as for a driver with No BAC or a BAC of less than .15 in an alcohol related DUI.

As you can see, even if you are sentenced to just the mandatory minimum penalties, a DUI - Drugs conviction can have a serious effect on your life.

Focusing On Your Best Defense

Looking for a lawyer for your DUI case in Lynnwood, WA? With years of defense experience, our lawyers have the ability, experience, and know-how to prepare a strong defense.

When you have the full weight of the police and prosecutor against you it can be stressful and frightening. We have been successfully defending our clients of DUI charges for over a decade. We offer a free initial consultation so call us now for the best help you can get. Call us now and we'll be there for you.