DUI Arraignment

Vancouver WA DUI Lawyer

An arraignment is your opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty to your DUI charge. Your arraignment is usually done at your first court appearance. In Washington, the court must schedule your arraignment within 14 days or your citation, CrRLJ 4.1 Your first court date will be written on the citation that your receive after your arrest.

If you appear without a lawyer to your first court date in Vancouver, WA, the court will ask whether you want to hire an attorney to appear for your arraignment and schedule you to come back within the 14 days of your arrest. The court may also give you the option to waive your right to an attorney for your first appearance and enter a not guilty plea and come back for your next court date, usually 6 weeks out. A plea of not guilty is simply a way to preserve your rights in the criminal justice process and allow you (and your attorney) time to work on your case. It is not necessarily a statement to the judge saying that you did nothing wrong, but rather a way to allow your attorney time to work on your case.

Once you enter a plea of not guilty, the court will set conditions of release. These conditions consist of the basic conditions:

No Alcohol or Non Prescribed Drugs
Stay in Contact With Your Attorney

In some cases the court may require more restrictive conditions including:

Antabuse
Random Urine Tests or Breath Tests

The judge will order these conditions primarily based on your prior DUIs and your BAC level. It is always a good idea to have an attorney with you at your DUI arraignment.

If you are facing a DUI charge, call our office or use our contact form to schedule an appointment to speak with an experienced DUI attorney. DUIs carry serious penalties including mandatory minimum jail sentences, probation, license suspension and ignition interlock devices.

Feb 29, 2024

by GC on Kris Carrasco Attorney at Law

Out of State Restraining Order

I was in a horrible situation where the mother of my son had me arrested on false claims so she could kidnap our son and move to Washington from California. She filed a restraining order when she got to Washington, listing our son as a protected party and claimed I had been abusive to her and him, writing a statement filled with lies and stories going back many years. She went so far as to have her family members, whom had never left Washington submit statements as well. The whole thing was disturbing and as a result I wasn't able to see my son for months. Kris didn't get dragged into arguing the meritless claims she made but instead focused on the actual law. Washington did not have jurisdiction over me and as a result a restraining order was not legal. A temp judge granted the restraining order and Kris made the judge explain on the stand multiple times how Washington had jurisdiction. She could not. He filed a motion for reconsideration shortly after outlining case law and making it clear that the temp judge had made a mistake. A commissioner reviewed and granted the motion for reconsideration. As a result, I was able to be reunited with my son, 102 days later. Kris is an amazing lawyer and I can't thank him enough for what he did for me and my son. Don't hesitate to hire him.