Washington Misdemeanor Case Court Proceedings – Part Two (Click Here) Continued from Part One,  posted on August 23, 2022 Trials are held if the case does not settle after the pretrial or motion hearings, the charge is not dismissed or if no guilty plea is entered. In Washington, misdemeanor Defendants have a choice of either…

Many clients are unfamiliar with the various Washington district and municipal court misdemeanor case proceedings. These court proceedings usually consist of arraignments, pretrial hearings, motion hearings, trial confirmation hearings, trials (jury trials and bench trials (judge only)), and sentencings. Arraignments are usually the first stage of a Washington misdemeanor case. The judge reads the charge(s)…

There is often confusion between the Washington State criminal traffic charge of Reckless Driving, RCW  46.61.500, and the traffic infraction ticket of Negligent Driving 2°, RCW 46.61.525. Reckless Driving is much more serious. It’s a gross misdemeanor criminal offense, punishable by up to 364 days jail, up to a $5,000 fine, and a 30 day…