Washington State: DUI Update

Is Washington state keeping up with the times or are they taking a step backwards? An article recently published at the Seattle Times, Discusses The changing face of DUI laws in Washington:

Lantz estimates that about 110 DUI offenders each year would face prison time under the proposed law, based on 2004 figures from the Judicial Information System, a statewide court database.

...Repeat drunken drivers in Washington now are sentenced to more than a year in jail only if they commit another alcohol-related crime, such as vehicular homicide, said Margaret Nave, a senior King County deputy prosecutor.

David Arganian, a Seattle criminal-defense attorney specializing in DUI, said most judges show leniency when sentencing first- and second-time offenders.

...But supporters say a felony DUI law offers chronic drunken drivers something that county jails can't always provide — treatment.

...In 2004, about 220 traffic-related deaths statewide involved alcohol or drugs, said Steve Lind, deputy director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

This article about DUI laws in Washington was originally posted at: Washington DUI News. I would also like to thank Robert Mckay, a Seattle Criminal Defence Attorney