One of my goals as a Seattle DUI attorney is to be convenient for my clients, my potential clients, and my staff. I also want it to be a place that is kind of cool, that is fun to work in, and that people look forward to seeing every day. Until lately, I hadn't really had the opportunity to fulfill many of these goals. I needed office space based on price and that was it.
But I've recently been forced to relocate my office, and I've decided that this time I'm going to do it right. I'm going to find a place that fits my needs and is convenient for clients. Or at least is what I think is convenient for clients (that is one of the things that makes this difficult - in the DUI lawyer business, you never really know what clients want, even when they tell you).
For me, I think location matters. I think that being in the wrong location can drive potential clients away. And I think down town is a terrible place for a criminal attorney to reside. Why? Easy. People that need a DUI attorney aren't necessarily interested in going some place to be wowed like a corporate attorney or even a business attorney might need. I think people that need my services are looking for someone they can trust, and all a huge building tells them is that they are expensive (it may show some signs of success, but just maybe).
In the end, I think my office space is not going to be downtown (though I may try to keep my address down there for law firm website SEO purposes). It isn't going to be out in the boondocks either, but it will be in a place that is much more convenient to the client - which will include free in-building parking, something no one has downtown. Also, it is extremely easy to get to from anywhere in Seattle. Another plus.
We'll see how it works. I think in the end it could be a huge benefit for my firm and my clients. I guess only time will tell.
4.05.2010
Seattle DUI Lawyer | Bench Trial or Jury Trial?
So you have been accused of a wrong. Maybe a DUI, possibly an mugging, maybe a burglary. And the state isn't offering you anything you feel contented accepting as a plea bargain. Your Seattle DUI attorney tells you the solitary option, if you don't desire the proposal, is a trial.
You're all right with that, but are a little cautious about the minutiae. In particular, you are not sure if you should ask for a jury trial or request a bench trial. Your Seattle DUI lawyer is suggesting a jury trial, however you just do not know if you can depend on a bunch of people you do not know to make the just verdict.
Picking between a jury trial or a bench trial (where the judge makes the choice of your guilt or innocence) can at times be complicated, even for a DUI attorney. Let's look at a pair of scenarios that may need you to go one way or another.
First, the jury trial. You like jury trials since jurors frequently aren't as fed-up as judges (they've heard a lot of excuses over the years and start to stop attempting to identify the distinction). They struggle vigorously to do the just thing and will usually grant you at least a fighting probability. Although they can be unpredictable too.
You frequently desire a jury trial when the case is fairly unsupported, when you possess various inconsistencies in the proof that just do not make sense, and when you need the fact finder to give you the benefit of the doubt. Juries are capable of doing this. With judges it's slightly more complex.
After that, the DUI bench trial. You typically like to have these when you hold a especially technical defense, the facts of the case are really ghastly (the jury will practically be certain to be critical of you from the beginning), or you are going to establish your argument on a legal topic that you feel the judge will understand better than a jury. This also is a crap shoot, as judges, while not unpredictable, have a propensity to lean toward the prosecution.
In the end, the decision to go jury trial or bench trial should possibly be completed by your Seattle DUI attorney. They have the knowledge to recognize which one to employ, and they appreciate the intricacy of the judgment. No matter which you pick, though, it's doubtless going to be an uphill battle. Good luck!
You're all right with that, but are a little cautious about the minutiae. In particular, you are not sure if you should ask for a jury trial or request a bench trial. Your Seattle DUI lawyer is suggesting a jury trial, however you just do not know if you can depend on a bunch of people you do not know to make the just verdict.
Picking between a jury trial or a bench trial (where the judge makes the choice of your guilt or innocence) can at times be complicated, even for a DUI attorney. Let's look at a pair of scenarios that may need you to go one way or another.
First, the jury trial. You like jury trials since jurors frequently aren't as fed-up as judges (they've heard a lot of excuses over the years and start to stop attempting to identify the distinction). They struggle vigorously to do the just thing and will usually grant you at least a fighting probability. Although they can be unpredictable too.
You frequently desire a jury trial when the case is fairly unsupported, when you possess various inconsistencies in the proof that just do not make sense, and when you need the fact finder to give you the benefit of the doubt. Juries are capable of doing this. With judges it's slightly more complex.
After that, the DUI bench trial. You typically like to have these when you hold a especially technical defense, the facts of the case are really ghastly (the jury will practically be certain to be critical of you from the beginning), or you are going to establish your argument on a legal topic that you feel the judge will understand better than a jury. This also is a crap shoot, as judges, while not unpredictable, have a propensity to lean toward the prosecution.
In the end, the decision to go jury trial or bench trial should possibly be completed by your Seattle DUI attorney. They have the knowledge to recognize which one to employ, and they appreciate the intricacy of the judgment. No matter which you pick, though, it's doubtless going to be an uphill battle. Good luck!
1.06.2010
Seattle DUI Attorney | Choosing to Take the Breath Test Just Got Harder
Deciding whether or not to take a breath analysis if you were detained for DUI used to be a big determination (even if you had a Seattle DUI attorney helping). If you were asked to undergo a blood alcohol assessment and refused, you were subjecting yourself to higher punishments for saying no, but had the advantage moving onward of not having to fight blood alcohol examination results.
Well, nowadays it seems more and more possible that the circumstances may surface where you may well say no a blood alcohol examination, face the more stringent consequences for the refusal, and still be subject to giving blood alcohol results.
Nearly all, if not all states, have created DUI laws that include implied consent laws. In brief, these laws state that if you drive on the highway in the state where an implied consent law exists, you are impliedly consenting to a breath assessment if the police have probable cause to suppose you are DUI. Built into these implied consent laws, however, is the capacity to refuse the blood alcohol analysis if you so decide. The downside to refusal, however, is the imposition of worse punishments if found guildy of DUI (and a longer license suspension - for case in point, in Seattle, WA a denial subjects you to a year license suspension as opposed to 90 days).
But, things have changed a little recently, and the Seattle DUI Attorneys Blog is going to let you know how. The police have begun going to judges and asking for search warrants when individuals decline blood alcohol tests. And numerous judges have upheld this practice (the way the courts perceive it, the denial has to do with the implied consent laws, not necessarily your right to be free from searches - that is covered by the fourth amendment, which can be overcome by representing probable cause to a judge and obtaining a search warrant.
One idea is firm. If you have the capability to have a word with an DUI attorney in Seattle before deciding whether or not to endure a blood alcohol examination, you ought to do so. The issues revolving around breath test denial are getting more and more knotty every day, and the only way you can be positive you are doing what is best for you is by speaking with an qualified Seattle DUI defense attorney and learning all of your options.
Related Posts:
Well, nowadays it seems more and more possible that the circumstances may surface where you may well say no a blood alcohol examination, face the more stringent consequences for the refusal, and still be subject to giving blood alcohol results.
Nearly all, if not all states, have created DUI laws that include implied consent laws. In brief, these laws state that if you drive on the highway in the state where an implied consent law exists, you are impliedly consenting to a breath assessment if the police have probable cause to suppose you are DUI. Built into these implied consent laws, however, is the capacity to refuse the blood alcohol analysis if you so decide. The downside to refusal, however, is the imposition of worse punishments if found guildy of DUI (and a longer license suspension - for case in point, in Seattle, WA a denial subjects you to a year license suspension as opposed to 90 days).
But, things have changed a little recently, and the Seattle DUI Attorneys Blog is going to let you know how. The police have begun going to judges and asking for search warrants when individuals decline blood alcohol tests. And numerous judges have upheld this practice (the way the courts perceive it, the denial has to do with the implied consent laws, not necessarily your right to be free from searches - that is covered by the fourth amendment, which can be overcome by representing probable cause to a judge and obtaining a search warrant.
One idea is firm. If you have the capability to have a word with an DUI attorney in Seattle before deciding whether or not to endure a blood alcohol examination, you ought to do so. The issues revolving around breath test denial are getting more and more knotty every day, and the only way you can be positive you are doing what is best for you is by speaking with an qualified Seattle DUI defense attorney and learning all of your options.
Related Posts:
Seattle DUI Attorney | Follow the Courts
Seattle DUI Attorney | 4th of July Patrols
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