SUCCESSFUL RESULTS IN AVOIDING JAIL TIME FOR MOST OF MY CLIENTS – PROTECTING YOUR FREEDOM!

I have been creatively resolving clients’ legal problems in the Seattle area for over 25 years.

I have many strategies and methods to help you stay out of jail; I can cover everything from the beginning. Starting with examining the evidence to find reasons to convince the prosecutor to not file charges after an arrest, such as in a recent case where I was able to show pictures of loose gravel on a road that caused an accident, instead of my client. If that fails I work on negotiating a discreet and favorable plea bargain, to get the charges and penalties (if any) as low as possible, such as by removing aggravating factors like having a weapon, or being in a school zone; while demonstrating to the prosecution the weaknesses in their case. Dismissal is always the first goal if charges are filed. And finally, if needed, convincing the judge to give a minimal sentence, or a sentence than can be better tolerated, such as home detention, or attending counseling sessions.

I will work every angle to get YOU the best result for your unique case.

In 1992 I was one of the first attorneys in this area to introduce a combined mental-health and chemical dependency approach to DUI defense, utilizing the help of a well-published, renowned psychiatry professor from Johns Hopkins University, John A. Liebert, MD, who specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of complex psychiatric problems, and also with the assistance of Seattle attorney Mike Frost, a pioneer on diminished capacity defenses.

As another example of just one special DUI / criminal defense approach I have developed and refined over many years, the Washington State DUI statutes now contain RCW 46.61.5055 (‘Alcohol Violators’), which sets forth the sentencing factors for DUI and related convictions (e.g., Physical Control), and contains a rarely used exception to the usual imposition of the applicable mandatory minimum jail time for a DUI conviction. It reads in part: “…the imprisonment may not be suspended or deferred unless the court finds that the imposition of this mandatory minimum sentence would impose a substantial risk to the offender’s physical or mental well-being…”

I will help you stay out of Jail, using an extensive toolbox of powerful defense techniques.

If one of my clients has some physical condition that cannot be well managed in the jail setting, I’ll try to pursue that as a basis to avoid jail time. But, those cases are challenging to prevail on to avoid jail time as the jails do have some health care on staff, it’s usually not of the best quality of medical care. Over the years, I have kept many hundreds of people from going to jail based upon documentation from private mental health care professionals I routinely work with, including psychiatrists, psychologists, and licensed mental health counselors. Which professional to use somewhat depends on your budget, and which one’s expertise applies to your case. If incarceration would impose a substantial risk to your mental well-being, I am skilled and almost always successful at presenting that situation and its risks to the courts to keep you out of jail. Often, these clients did not realize that they suffer from mental issues, usually low-level ones such as depression or panic anxiety disorders, until it eventually impacted their lives, resulting in legal and other problems. Many people self-medicate with alcohol and drugs to alleviate untreated depression, and similar emotional problems.

It is a very effective approach to a case that is otherwise not winnable for a client with diagnosable mental health issues. But, for other clients who do not fit this defense, I keep up on the DUI laws that are constantly changing, to develop new arguments and strategies to deal with these changes, to challenge the probable cause for the DUI stop in the first place, to challenge the blood draws when there are blood draws, to attack breath test evidence, fight to suppress as much of the state’s evidence as possible, and to advocate for my clients with tact and effectiveness.

Any given defense approach would not apply to every case, and these are just examples of my creative defense approaches, but hundreds of my clients have benefited from them.  I always strive to understand the individual client’s situation as well as their case and take a holistic and caring approach to solving their problems. Explain your goals to me, and I’ll use this library of legal knowledge.

Your most important call ever: 425-455-4784