Seattle Dui Attorneys Reduce Dui Charges To Negligent Driving First Degree Every Day

So, you messed up. You've been charged with a DUI in Washington State, and you aren't sure what to do. You know you need to hire a Seattle DUI attorney, but other than that, you have no idea what to do, what to expect, or what a good outcome is. It's a good thing you found this article.

To make this article easier we are going to zoom in from the State of Washington to the City of Seattle. In the City of Seattle, DUI charges are gross misdemeanors. This means you could receive a year in prison and a fine of up to five thousand dollars. That is a worst case scenario. At best, you have to do one day in jail. But you have choices.

Assuming you hire a good DUI attorney, there is probable some wiggle room to plead the charge down to something more manageable. This is, of course, assuming you have facts that are at least decent (despite what you might believe, you need great facts to get a great plea bargain - you just have to create the perception of great facts).

Plea bargaining is the art of getting you the best outcome possible for the criminal charges you are facing. Sometimes this means reduced jail time, sometimes it means a reduced charge, sometimes it means a dismissal. No matter what the circumstance, however, it means getting you the least amount of punishment possible.

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.

Negligent driving first degree is a misdemeanor, not a gross misdemeanor. This equates to a reduction in the maximum sentences and the mandatory minimum sentences (there isn't one). The worst that can happen is 90 days in jail and $100 fine.

Next, unlike a Seattle DUI conviction, you aren't required to do any jail time a minimum for negligent driving first degree. If the judge decides it is appropriate, they can give you no jail time at all. That means you walk out of the courtroom a free person at the end of the day.

Third, and lastly, you don't lose your driving privileges with a negligent driving first degree conviction. We all know that is great, especially when the DUI requires a suspension. Keeping your driving privileges is a chief motivator of many DUI attorneys. In the end, they'll do the best for you, and that is all that you can ask.