DUI & Criminal Defense
Welcome to my website, Washington State's best resource for those arrested for driving under the influence. I am David Jolly, a Washington State DUI attorney. I pride myself in getting the very best result possible for each and every client. My staff and I have more than 60 years of combined legal experience in Washington State courts and I have personally handled thousands of cases to successful outcomes since 1997. To enhance my knowledge and understanding of the law, I have authored and had published more than 25 DUI and Traffic books. My sole purpose and objective is to help our clients achieve the best possible results. I encourage you to look through my website for helpful information and downloadable handouts. Call us today for a free consultation, we would love to help you!
Serious Offense. Serious Defense.
After a DUI arrest check your Court Date, talk to a DUI attorney and prepare! In most courts including Whatcom County District Court, Bellingham Municipal Court and Skagit County District Court, you will be required to appear in court the very next day. Your freedom is in jeopardy so it is important to prepare immediately.
You only have 7 days to save your license. Following your arrest for DUI, you only have 7 days to submit the DOL DUI Request for Hearing form. You should have been provided such a form following your release from custody. You have no time to waste, find out how we can help save your driving privilege.
A DUI conviction means Jail, loss of License, and an Ignition Interlock. Importantly, if this is not your first DUI you could be facing many months in Jail. It is critical to know your rights as soon as possible following your DUI arrest and understand your options. What is also critical is understanding that every court, Judge and prosecuting attorney does things differently and imposes different sanctions. This is true in Whatcom County, Skagit County and Snohomish County. Call us for more details.
Knowledge is power, so the saying goes. This phrase is particularly true when facing a serious criminal charge in court. Understanding the process is important and one of our goals is to make a complicated process easier to understand. We provide all of our clients with handouts and printed summaries of their case. However, knowing the procedures early is vital to obtaining the best result possible. Please download one of our free DUI books by clicking the link below.
Helpful Information Following Your DUI Arrest
An ignition interlock device may be ordered immediately after an arrest for DUI. This is the case if you have a prior DUI, no matter the result and no matter how old that DUI was. Further an ignition interlock device will be required if you are convicted of DUI, if the case is reduced to Reckless Driving or Negligent Driving First Degree (if you had a prior DUI conviction) or if you enter a deferred prosecution. Importantly, these devices come with lots of problems. Talk to us first!
Probation in a criminal case is likely so prepare early to avoid active probation. If you have a case that concerns the Court - for example, a bad accident, a DUI with children in the car, or a high BAC - you may be placed on pretrial probation. If you have a prior DUI, you most probably will be placed on pretrial probation. Following a DUI case, regardless of result, probation is probable. Therefore, it is critical you speak with a Whatcom County or Skagit County DUI attorney to learn more.
Bail Bonds Company are ready to help you! Sounds a little amusing when you say this aloud, but frankly if you or a loved one is placed into custody following your arrest, the Bail Bonds companies can become your best friends. In Whatcom County the majority of those arrested for DUI end up in Jail. If you are from out of County, you will not be released until the next court day. It is important to confirm if bail has been set because if it has, you can bail out and maintain your freedom.
The court will require you to complete the alcohol evaluation and whatever recommendation is made as a result of the evaluation. The typical recommendation is the ADIS class (alcohol drug information school). What is often overlooked is the Washington State Department of Licensing will also require the completion of both of these to reinstate your driver's license.
The DUI Victim Panel is a requirement for any DUI case, regardless of outcome. The panel is approximately two-hours in length and costs $50 (usually cash only). Skagit County, Whatcom County and Snohomish County all have their own DUI victim panels and there are also private companies who run victim panels on weekends. Be sure to check with your attorney in either Skagit or Whatcom County for schedules.
A Deferred Prosecution will dismiss your DUI, save your license and eliminate Jail. It sounds great, and it can be. However it is important to know as much as possible about the deferred prosecution program before making a decision. Importantly, the program requires 2-years of alcohol, drug or mental health treatment.
DUI Memberships
