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…

On July 1, 2022, new revised Washington State laws for civil protection orders went into effect. These include domestic violence protection orders, sexual assault protection orders, stalking protection orders, antiharassment protection orders, vulnerable adult protection orders, and extreme risk protection orders. Violation of a domestic violence protection order, a sexual assault protection order, a stalking…

The Alive at 25 is a traffic safety diversion program for young drivers (16-24) available in the Snohomish County District Court. Young drivers completing the Alive at 25 class (4 1/2 hours) may get their traffic ticket dismissed. Alive at 25 classes are given at the Edmonds Community College in Lynnwood and Edmonds Community College…

Lynnwood DUI / criminal defense attorney Paul Hanson has been honored with the highest possible lawyer rating: “AV-Preeminent” by the nation’s oldest and most respectable national lawyer rating service, Martindale-Hubbell. For over 100 years, millions of clients and attorneys have turned to the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings to help them select a lawyer. Martindale Hubble…

Every April, the Washington State Patrol dedicates several weeks to putting extra emphasis on cracking down on distracted drivers. That means if you are an avid texter in traffic, you’re much more likely to get a ticket in the next few weeks than in the past. The minimum fine for distracted driving is $136 for…

Many people miss their Washington court dates for various reasons. Sometimes the court mailed its court date notice to an old address. Sometimes people are out of state on long trips and vacations and didn’t see their court date notice until after their court date has passed. And sometimes people just forget their court dates.…

Motorists with bad driving records pay an average of $2,005 annually for car insurance, while drivers with good records pay an average of $1,483 for auto insurance, according to the 2021 study by Insurify, Insuring the American Driver Report – Trends in Costs & Coverage. Just a single traffic ticket can result in an average…

In 2021, the Washington Supreme Court, in State v. Blake, ruled that Washington’s Possession of Marijuana statute, former RCW 69.50.4014, was unconstitutional for lacking an intent element. Consequently, anyone convicted under the former Possession of Marijuana law before the Washington Supreme Court’s 2021 decision is eligible to have their conviction immediately vacated (deleted). Eligible persons…

Many Washington drivers are confused about whether to contest or just pay a camera photo traffic infraction ticket. And if they do contest it, should they hire a traffic ticket lawyer? Unlike traffic tickets issued by police officers, camera photo tickets do not go on the driver’s Washington driving record. They are like parking meter…