Introducing Reasonable Doubt: How a Tacoma DUI Attorney Can Help

DUI charges are criminal charges, which means that a prosecutor has a burden of proving your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If a prosecutor cannot convince a judge or jury to believe beyond a reasonable doubt that you drove drunk in violation of the law, you will be found innocent of the charges against you. This means that  Tacoma DUI attorney does not need to prove you are innocent in order to get you off on the DUI: he just has to introduce doubt or prevent the prosecutor from being able to prove your guilt.

Introducing Reasonable Doubt

A Tacoma DUI attorney can introduce reasonable doubt in a DUI case by showing  the judge or jury that there was something wrong with the evidence being presented against you. For instance, your Tacoma DUI attorney may be able to cast doubt on the accuracy of the breathalyzer test that was administered by showing that the machine had not been calibrated properly or that the officer who administered the test had never really been properly trained in how to do it.

If you had a blood test or other BAC test at a hospital or police station after your arrest, your Tacoma DUI attorney can use a defense called the “rising BAC” defense in order to introduce doubt. This defense argues that your blood alcohol level kept going up even after you were arrested, so although it might have exceeded the legal limit when the test was given to you, it didn’t at the time when you were driving.

By introducing these different DUI defenses, your Tacoma DUI attorney can poke holes in the prosecutors case. If the judge or jury then believes that your version of events might be the true one, you can avoid the serious consequences associated with a Seattle DUI.

Your Marriage Green Card and Your Immigration Lawyer Seattle WA

Getting married to a U.S. citizen is one way in which a person may become a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. However, even marriage to someone who is a citizen does not guarantee that you can immigrate to the U.S. and it does not result in a person becoming a permanent resident quickly. Instead, the process of getting permanent resident status- also known as a green card- can take two years from the time of the marriage. Typically, getting a green card due to marriage also requires that you undergo a marriage interview.

The Process of Becoming a Resident

When you are going through the process of getting a marriage green card, your immigration lawyer Seattle WA will help to ensure you follow the right steps and complete the proper paperwork. If you have not yet married, for example, your attorney can explain to you the key differences between getting a fiancé visa or getting married abroad.

As your immigration lawyer Seattle will tell you, when you wish to marry in the U.S. the U.S. citizen will have to apply for her fiancé to come into the country on a fiancé visa. Once this visa is granted and the fiancé comes into the U.S., the marriage will have to occur within 90 days. When a couple gets married abroad, on the other hand, the U.S. citizen will need to complete different forms to bring over his or her spouse.

The Interview

Your immigration lawyer Seattle WA will also help you to prepare for your interview, which is a prerequisite regardless of whether you marry in the U.S. or abroad.

The interview is conducted to ensure that the marriage is legitimate and not just done for the purposes of obtaining citizenship, and it can thus mean the difference between a green card being granted or possible criminal actions taken as a result of an alleged sham marriage. Being adequately informed of what to expect in this interview is thus essential and an immigration lawyer Seattle WA will help you to know what it entails so you can feel comfortable and ready.

With the help of your immigration lawyer Seattle WA, you and your spouse will be on your way to a long and happy life in the U.S.

Can DUI Lawyers Seattle Really Help In a DUI Case?

When you have been charged with a DUI, you may wonder whether DUI lawyers Seattle will really be able to help you at all. After all, you may have been arrested, handcuffed, fingerprinted and spent the night in jail. The police may have a breathalyzer result showing that you were intoxicated, you may have received notice that the DMV is taking administrative action to suspend your license, and you may simply feel that it is hopeless and that you’ll just have to cope with whatever the consequences are.

The reality, however, is that DUI lawyers Seattle really can help in almost all DUI cases. The type of assistance that your lawyer will be able to provide will depend on the circumstances of your case, but it is at least worth a try to speak with a lawyer to find out what your options are for minimizing potential penalties.

Options from Your DUI Lawyers Seattle

The possible options that your DUI lawyers Seattle will explain to you will likely include defending the case, trying to get evidence suppressed, or plea bargaining down to a lesser offense.

Trying to get evidence suppressed involves asserting that the police violated your rights in searching you or administering a BAC. Evidence that the police collected illegally in violation of your rights isn’t admissible to prove your guilt.

Defenses may include, among others, a rising BAC or a faulty BAC test. The rising BAC defense is a defense that assets that your blood alcohol level kept rising after you stopped drinking so, although it may have been high at the time it was tested, it was below the legal limit at the time when you were driving. A faulty BAC argument may involve showing that the officer who administered your test did not have proper training.

Finally, a plea bargain will involve asking the prosecutor to show mercy if you admit guilt and to potentially allow you to plead to lesser charges or incur a less severe penalty.

DUI lawyers Seattle will explain each of these options to you in greater detail and help you to decide what course of action is best.