You never thought it would happen to you, but it did. And now you have to report to court for a Washington State DUI charge. It's obvious that you need a Seattle DUI lawyer, but aside from that, you aren't sure what to do, what will happen, or how you are going to get out of this mess. At least you have this article to help.

In light of talking about the entire State of Washington, we're going to talk about Seattle. It's just easier. In Seattle, a DUI is a gross misdemeanor. This means it is punishable by a maximum jail sentence of one year and a maximum fine of $5000. If it is your first DUI, among other things, it carries a minimum sentence of 1 day in jail and an $865 fine and a 90 day driver's license suspension. But all is not lost.

Getting a decent DUI attorney is step one to beating a DUI charge. A good lawyer should be able to look at your case, find some inconsistencies, and begin to work on the prosecutor to come down on the charges a little bit. This is done with the understanding that you haven't been driving around completely drunk.

This negotiation is referred to as plea bargaining. It entails getting you the best deal possible with the least amount of punishment possible. It can include less or no jail time, lesser accusations, and can sometimes mean dismissing the charges. In the end, whatever happens, it means getting you off with the least pain permissible.

It is not impossible to get a Seattle DUI dismissed, but it doesn't happen often. To get this outcome, you typically need a big factual or legal problem that prevents the prosecutor from moving forward with the case. These aren't just given out like candy. Plea bargains, however, are extremely common, including negligent driving in the first degree.

First, it is a misdemeanor, which means the maximum punishment is reduced significantly. Now the maximum is 90 days in jail and a $1000 fine. That is the most punishment you can received.

Next, you aren't required to do any jail time if you enter a plea agreement to negligent driving first degree. If the judge wants, they can give you zero jail time for this crime. It is way better than the one day a judge has to give you for Seattle DUI.

And finally, there is no license suspension. Not much probably needs to be said about what a great deal this is. But it gives you freedom you don't realize you have until it is gone. So, in the end, pleas are possible, just find the best DUI lawyer you can and hope for the best.