The ever tightening DUI noose is alive and well. On June 12, 2014 SB 6415 (the bill pertaining to consecutive sentences for driving under the influence and/or physical control of a vehicle under the influence of intoxicating liquor, marijuana, or any drug) will be in full force and effect. SB 6415 ensures that sentences for a felony driving under the influence or being in physical control of a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug must be served consecutively (back to back) with any sentence imposed for circumventing an ignition interlock device or operating a motor vehicle without a required ignition interlock device, which are both gross misdemeanor offenses in Washington State. Additionally, SB 6415 stipulates that sentences for circumventing an ignition interlock device or operating a motor vehicle without a required ignition interlock device are to be served consecutively by a defendant.
Interestingly, SB 6014 (the bill pertaining to Boating Under the Influence) also has an effective date of June 12, 2014, and ensures that BUI law mirrors previous changes to our Washington DUI implied consent law.
If you or a loved one is in a bind as a result of a DUI, immediately contact a Seattle DUI attorney. A DUI lawyer is not going to judge you, and understands that everyone makes mistakes. Hiring a Seattle DUI lawyer to help can – at a minimum – reduce those penalties, and can help direct people on how to best deal with their DUI charge. So it should go without saying that someone cited for DUI should hire a qualified Seattle DUI lawyer as soon as possible. Driving Under the Influence charges can cause havoc on a person’s personal and professional life. Anyone charged with DUI in Washington State should immediately seek the assistance of a seasoned Seattle DUI lawyer.