Seattle DUI Attorney | Another Successful Saturation Patrol, Sort of

I wrote (or thought about writing) some time ago about the widespread DUI patrols that would be going on in Pierce and King County, including Seattle, to keep those pesky kids graduating from high school and college from having a bunch of fun at a party where alcohol is present. Then the other day I came across this article touting the success of the DUI patrols.

Now, as I've stated before on the DUI Attorney Seattle Blog, even though I'm a Seattle DUI attorney, I am not for people driving drunk. I think it is dangerous and could potentially cause a lot of harm to the driver and the general public. With that being said, however, I believe the widespread "crackdown" on drunk driving and teen alcohol consumption is taking the easy way out for a lot of politicians and law enforcement officials.

What I'm saying is, I'm not too far out of college, which makes me not too far out of high school (and I think we can all remember those days). These crackdowns on alcohol consumption and drunk driving have not proven to curb these problems - people still do this all the time. And most of the time the people that are caught are not or have not caused any actual problems, they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

For example, the story reports that police officers who were staking out a graduation party (is this really how we need to be using our resources, by the way?) were able to break up a party of about fifty high school kids in the Tacoma area. And what did they find at the party? Beer, bongs, and a little bit of marijuana. Oh, and some red plastic cups, used not only for drinking liquids, but playing a game called beer pong, where people drink a quarter of a glass of beer if you throw a ping pong ball in the cup (my brother is in college right now and owns a beer pong table). Not only that, but after the party was broken up, those cited with MIPs were taken down to the police station and given counseling and processed! What a huge waste of time.

I guess my point is this. Why are we handing out Seattle MIP citations instead of tracking down identity thieves, patrolling downtown Tacoma for trouble, or doing any number of other things that actually have a community impact. I myself got a minor in possession citation when I was in college. For me and most of my friends it was a right of passage. Although this makes for a great article and makes me happy as a Seattle DUI attorney, it really doesn't make any sense from a criminal justice standpoint.

Although I am well aware that these DUI emphasis patrols will be going on probably forever, it just makes no sense as to why they continue to happen. It's not like areas where these patrols weren't going on saw any increase in DUI accidents or any accidents related to alcohol consumption. And although we did get a couple of beer bongs off the street and break up a beer pong tournament, it just doesn't seem to be worth the effort.

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Two Kinds of Seattle DUI Attorneys - Which One Do You Want?

We all know it works this way, particularly if you've started a law firm. And it applies to attorneys in all areas of practice, but Seattle DUI attorneys in particular. There are those Seattle criminal defense attorneys that are in it strictly for the money. To put it as one lawyer I spoke with put it today - the more cases I get out of, the more money I make. And some are in it for another reason, a primary reason of which is to make sure the client gets a fair shake, and a secondary reason is a love for trial work.

If you've hired a DUI attorney before, and actually tested the waters, then you know what I am talking about. If you haven't selected a Seattle criminal defense lawyer yet, are on the look for one, or are just interested in the process, I'll give you a little bit of advice on finding the right DUI lawyer.

First, pay attention to their demeanor when you meet them for the first time (and you should always meet them at least once before giving them your hard earned money). Are they attentive? Do they make what seem like unrealistic promises because they know it is what you want to hear (by the way, "I'll do my very best for you" is not unrealistic, "I win every DUI case I take and I'll win yours is")? First impression isn't everything, but it's a lot. You don't need a bulldog for your case, you need someone you feel comfortable trusting your time and money with.

Second, what is their reputation like? Look on sites like Avvo.com and scour the internet. Not having great reviews, while certainly less helpful, shouldn't be a deal killer. Some people just don't feel comfortable asking for former clients to give reviews. But negative reviews should raise a red flag. And as far as positive reviews go, don't take for the God's honest truth what is printed on the firm's website. Although it is possible that a client uttered those words, as service professionals we need to market - all you will see on a firm's site is good reviews.

And finally, ask them how many active cases they have. If they have a lot of cases going on at one time, it doesn't mean they are popular. It probably means they are a sign and plea type of a law firm. And every other case a firm has takes away some time for your case. At my firm, for example, we are not the cheapest - not even close. But we only take a limited number of cases and work them as hard as we can to do the best for our clients. Our clients want results, not two phone calls and a plea offer.

So, the next time you are in the market for a Seattle DUI attorney, remember to think about what it is you are looking for from your attorney. To you want to be well represented or do you want to be another case file number?

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Another City Councilman Charged with Seattle DUI

Although most of the time on the DUI Attorney Seattle Blog I like to take the opportunity to analyze DUI arrests of prominent individuals to give you all, my readers, an idea of what to do and what not to do if you are ever stopped for a Seattle DUI. Although in many instances, like this one, the person stopped and arrested for DUI wasn't in Seattle, Washington, there are lessons to be learned from their behavior.

This time, however, I'm afraid this story just goes to show you the punishing effects that alcohol can have on a life. This guy, who was a former police officer and was a mayoral candidate in his city, was arrested for driving erratically and passing out in his vehicle, and had an alcohol concentration of .256, three times the legal limit. In his quotes to the newspaper he acknowledged having a problem and noted that he felt as though he'd hit his bottom.

As a Seattle DUI attorney, these cases are the hardest to handle. Not because of the facts or anything else, but mostly because of the realization that if this guy could have somehow gotten help a little bit earlier he may have been able to avoid this whole mess. If you are in trouble with alcohol or drugs in Seattle, don't wait until you need a Seattle criminal lawyer to take care of it.

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