Seattle Traffic Lawyer | Don't Believe the Hype

If you google Seattle traffic lawyer you will find a laundry list of traffic lawyer websites out there touting their success rates and how good they are at fighting Seattle speeding tickets. You will read information about how hiring a good traffic attorney can help you win your case. And, you will probably read testimonials from former clients gushing about how this attorney helped get them out of a ticket they were sure they were stuck with.

Well, don't believe the hype. And learn how to differentiate the hype from the truth, because all of it isn't hype. Some of it is true.

For one, hiring a good Seattle traffic lawyer can substantially improve the chances that you get out of a traffic ticket - probably by 50% or more. But it isn't because they know any inside secrets or because they are buddies with the judge. Most of the time it is because the officer made mistakes when citing you - either procedurally (not signing in the right place) or substantively (he can't prove an essential element). Whatever the case may be, Seattle traffic lawyers do the same thing all other lawyers do - look at the facts, make sure the procedures were followed, and make the best argument available for their client.

But touting success rates is hype. The testimonials are hype. Why? Because your case is not their case. If everything is done right, it may still be extremely difficult to beat your Seattle traffic ticket. That is just the way it is. If you speed, you are taking the chance of having to pay for it. If you make an improper turn, you are taking the chance of having to pay for it. We, as Seattle traffic attorneys, can do our best, but we are not miracle workers.

So, next time you get a Seattle speeding ticket, definitely give us a call. We will work tirelessly to get your traffic ticket dismissed. But we can't guarantee anything. And every case is different, so what happened in the past doesn't matter. All we can tell you is that we are good, and we will fight for you.

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Seattle Traffic Lawyer | Speeding Tickets and Insurance

Let me guess. You are reading this Seattle Traffic Lawyer Blog post because you just got a Seattle speeding ticket and you want to try to beat it or at least find out exactly how much your insurance rates are going to go up the next time you renew your insurance. If you are doing the research, then good for you. At least you are concerned about your Washington driving record enough to look into how a Seattle traffic citation can affect your wallet.

For starters, Washington State doesn't really have a "point" system like many other states. A Seattle speeding ticket doesn't carry a certain number of points, and neither does a ticket for running a red light. Instead, the State of Washington just has a set of rules they follow for determining when your license is affected by traffic violations. You get a certain number of violations, you face certain consequences.

First, if you receive five moving violations (a moving violation takes place while the car is moving - speeding, reckless driving, negligent driving, etc. are moving violations) in a years time period, you are placed on probation with the Department of Licensing. This will definitely raise a red flag with your insurance company. To take care of this situation you should hire a Seattle traffic lawyer to either get the citations reduced to non-moving violations or get them dismissed altogether (if possible). What you shouldn't do is just go in and plead guilty to a bunch of tickets. That just isn't smart.

Second, if you receive six or more moving violations within a year, your license is suspended for a period of time. Bottom line - don't get six moving violations within a year (and I think a year lasts from today back a year - so, for example, if you had 6 speeding tickets from last July 20 to this July 20, that would make you eligible for license suspension). Again, don't get cited with this many traffic violations. If you do, Hire a Seattle speeding ticket lawyer to help you out.

By the way, these are both going to hurt your insurance rates - to what effect depends a bit on your provider, your demographic (age, sex, etc.) and probably some other random factors that insurance companies think reflect on people's driving abilities (education, etc.). In any event, it is a pretty safe bet that the more moving violations you get (non-moving violations typically aren't counted toward a driving record for purposes of insurance), the higher your insurance rates will go.

Don't be that person that has to pay for Seattle traffic tickets if you don't have to. Hire a Seattle traffic lawyer today to help.

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Seattle Traffic Lawyer | Field Sobriety Tests

The most disheartening thing to see as a Seattle traffic lawyer when a client walks into the door is that they didn't do everything they could to exercise their rights and take advantage of their rights to create the best situation possible for them to beat their Seattle DUI. And one of the areas where I see this time and time again is consenting to field sobriety tests.

If you didn't know already (and there is no real reason you should know, unless, of course, you have friends or relatives that are DUI attorneys), you don't have to take field sobriety tests in Washington State.

The reason for this is fairly straightforward: we all have Constitutional rights, one of which is the right not to incriminate ourselves. Field sobriety tests are given for the sole reason of proving we are too drunk to drive (even though they don't really do that). So, if you decide to refuse them, it shouldn't be held against you in court.

And to think to yourself, "I'll take these field sobriety tests and prove to the police how sober I am" is, to say it bluntly, stupid. Let me put it to you this way, we are seasoned Seattle traffic lawyers and I would never, under any circumstances, take field sobriety tests. All they do is dig whatever hole you are already in deeper. The police are looking for reasons to write down in their report to back up their belief that you were drunk, and they'll see that when you are doing your field sobriety tests.

If you are ever charged with a DUI in the Seattle area, don't wait until you are arrested to assert your rights. Right when you think you are in trouble (about the time the officer asks you to do field sobriety tests), immediately ask (nicely) to speak with your Seattle traffic attorney. It can mean the difference between beating your DUI, significantly reducing your DUI to something much easier to deal with, and being convicted of DUI.

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