Tacoma DUI Lawyers
- Lerner Law Firm:
Evidence of a criminal defendant's prior crimes or convictions may be relevant in a proceeding for a subsequent offense. Notwithstanding the relevance of such evidence, the Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE) generally prohibits the use of evidence of prior crimes to prove the character of the person against whom it is introduced. Specifically, FRE 404(b) bars the admissibility of "evidence of other crimes, wrongs, or acts...in order to show action in conformity therewith."
However, evidence of prior crimes or convictions may be admissible under certain circumstances, including:
1. When offered for non-propensity purposes, and
2. To impeach the credibility of a witness (includi
- Stenberg Law Firm:
Each state has rules and regulations concerning the breath test given to people suspected of DUI. In Washington, the only admissible results in court is from the Datamaster machine given to the arrested individual at the police station. You are not under any obligation to perform the field breath test and the results cannot be used against you in a court of law. The testing officer at the station must observe you for 15 minutes before giving the test to make sure you don't hiccup, burp, or have anything foreign in your mouth. If the officer does not wait the required 15 minutes, the results may be successfully suppressed.
Additionally, the test operator must be properly certified along with the Datamaster. Much like a radar gun in a traffic situation, the Datamaster must be properly calibrated. The solution used must be at a certain temperature and there must be proper logs kept of the tests run. Your attorney will get copies of the various logs, maintenance records, and the operator's license or certification instead of simply relying on the complaint and the word of the officer who is accusing you of a crime.
- Kenneth Rossback:
DWI stands for "driving while impaired" while DUI represents "driving under the influence." There is also a third, common term "OWI" or "operating while impaired." All three terms represent operating a motor vehicle after consuming enough alcohol to register a specific blood-alcohol level. Most states set the level at .1, although some states have or are considering lowering the level to .08.
- Clayton Dickinson:
Taking care of your legal matters shouldn't be stressful and uncomfortable. You should have a lawyer who gives you the opportunity to thoroughly understand your options, ask questions, discuss alternatives and minimize your costs.
- John Fuhrman:
Washington has recently passed some of the toughest DUI laws in the
nation. The first advice I would give to any prospective client is:
don't drink and drive! The mandatory jail time, fines, costs and the
loss of your driving privileges to say nothing of the risk to your own
life and potentially those of others, is to great a price to pay. Cab
fare seems like a real bargain when you consider what your risking.
- Nicolas George: DUI
Advice and Penalties.
- Scholl Law Firm:
Successful DUI defense requires an understanding of the highly
technical forensic science of blood alcohol concentration. It requires
the legal skills necessary to prepare to take the case to a jury trial,
and to persuade a skeptical jury that the government cannot prove guilt
beyond a reasonable doubt. It requires the tenacity to negotiate with
hard-nosed prosecutors. But most of all, it requires the desire to help
someone who is in deep trouble, and the professional dedication to keep
fighting and never give up.
- Don Lundahl:
In Washington, you are considered to be Driving under the Influence of
Alcohol if your blood alcohol results are .08 or greater as measured by
a blood, breath or urine test. If you refuse to take the test, you face
a one-year license suspension.
Kevin Byrd:
The decision whether to plead guilty is an important one and it is not
wise or recommended until you have carefully reviewed, with your
defense attorney, all of the police reports and other evidence and, in
some cases, conducted your own investigation.
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