About Bellevue Court & Bellevue Arrests

There is one court in Bellevue, a District Court, and it is part of the King County District Court System. The King County District Court (KCDC), East Division – Bellevue Facility (Courthouse) handles misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, infractions, anti-harassment and protection orders (if no children are involved) and minor civil actions. It enforces the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) and the Bellevue Municipal Code, Title 10.

Have you been arrested for a Criminal charge in Bellevue?

If you’re arrested by a Bellevue Police officer for a criminal charge your case will be heard at Bellevue District Court, though if you are in custody it is possible your first appearance for arraignment or to see if the prosecutor will file its complaint within 72 hours may be in Seattle at the KCDC jail Courtroom #1. It could also be at the SCORE Jail in Des Moines on a Bellevue PD arrest.  But the Bellevue District Court where all future hearing will be held is located at 1309 114th Ave SE #100, Bellevue, WA 98004.  Bellevue District Court no longer handles state cases resulting from arrests by the Washington State Patrol (WSP) or King County cases that occur when a King County Sheriff arrests you; these are handled in Seattle usually if the arrest was in the Bellevue vicinity, at the KCDC West Division, Seattle Courthouse, or in the King County District Court in Redmond or the one in Issaquah.

Arrestees booked on a Friday night, over the weekend or the day before or day of a legal holiday must wait in jail until the court reopens to appear before a judge to seek their release from custody. That makes for a very tough weekend that one rarely forgets.

How it works – Your Arraignment

The first hearing is the arraignment. The plea you enter at the arraignment should always be “Not Guilty” regardless of the facts and circumstances of your case. The court will also set conditions of release at this hearing. Prosecutors often ask the judge to impose strict conditions such as a bail or an Ignition Interlock Device, EHM (Electronic Home Monitoring) or SCRAM or TAD devices to detect alcohol consumption with an ankle bracelet, orders not to consume alcohol or drugs (including marijuana except in rare cases of medical necessity), No-Contact Orders, surrender of weapons, etc.  An experienced Bellevue Criminal Defense Attorney can usually effectively resist and minimize or avoid these conditions of release for his client, especially on first-time offenses.

Next – Pretrial Hearings, Negotiation

Next, there are Pretrial Conferences, also called Pretrial Hearings (PTR). Most cases have several PTR’s before they are resolved or set for trial. They generally occur 4-5 weeks apart. After a few of them, the court will often pressure the defense to conclude the case with a plea deal or go to trial. If a good offer is presented by the prosecutor, the case can be disposed of by a plea deal (plea bargain) at a PTR. During this process, your defense attorney will be investigating your case and obtaining police reports, medical records, interviews from witnesses, victims, experts and law enforcement as well as any other evidence related to your case.

Pretrial Motions

There are numerous pretrial motions that can have a significant impact on your defense – or even result in the dismissal of your case. A few common ones include motions to challenge probable cause (PC) for the stop or arrest in a DUI, whether statements made by the police, witnesses or defendant are admissible, motions to compel or limit discovery and Sixth Amendment Right to Counsel deprivation motions. Pretrial motions require extensive legal briefing and strategic planning to be successful.

Readiness Hearing & Trial

Less than 15% of the criminal cases filed proceed to trial – trial is frankly the last resort due to the inherent risk and cost. You may choose to go to trial in the event the prosecution has not offered an agreeable plea deal, or if a conviction would be unacceptable or especially damaging to your career and/or personal life.

Phil Weinberg has over 25 years of experience and has a wealth of tools, an excellent private investigator available at all times, a handful of forensic alcohol drug, mental health, domestic violence and other professionals, and numerous effective and proven defense strategies to fight your case and protect your rights, interests, lifestyle, family, employment, citizenship status, ability to travel, and to preserve your liberty and FREEDOM!!! Call Phil at: (425) 455-4784.

Integrity, Experience, Compassion & A Record of Success

I look forward to connecting with you to go over your case.

Don’t worry – Get Real Help Now!