Archive for April, 2012

Probable Cause Issues: How Your DUI Attorney Seattle WA Will Help

When you are arrested for a DUI, your DUI attorney Seattle WA will review the information about your arrest in order to determine if you have any possible ways to defend yourself. One issue your DUI attorney Seattle WA will consider is whether there was sufficient probable cause.

Understanding Probable Cause

When you speak with a DUI attorney Seattle WA, your lawyer is going to ask you about why you were pulled over, and about when and why the law enforcement officer decided to conduct a sobriety test. When your DUI attorney Seattle WA asks these questions, the purpose is to determine whether the police had probable cause for their actions.

Under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, you have the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizures. As your DUI attorney Seattle WA will explain to you, a search is unreasonable if it is conducted by law enforcement without probable cause. In other words, unless the law enforcement officer had a reasonable suspicion that you were breaking the law, he or she cannot search you.

Being pulled over is a form of “seizure,” so a law enforcement agent must have probable cause to pull you over in the first place. If you weren’t breaking a traffic law, driving erratically or otherwise doing something that suggested wrongdoing, then your DUI attorney Seattle WA may be able to argue that the police officer pulled you over without probable cause. In this instance, your DUI lawyer Seattle WA could potentially have any evidence collected against you after you were improperly pulled over thrown out as “fruit of the poison tree” (i.e. evidence collected from a bad search).

If you were pulled over for a legitimate reason, the law enforcement officer would still have needed to have probable cause before requiring a sobriety test. If you didn’t give indications you were intoxicated, your DUI attorney Seattle WA can also argue that there was no probable cause for testing your sobriety. This, again, can help you get evidence thrown out in your DUI case.

How to Find Free Immigration Lawyers in Seattle?

If you are coping with immigration problems, you may be looking for free immigration lawyers in Seattle. Many people are interested in hiring free immigration lawyers in Seattle because they do not know how to handle their legal issues but they do not believe they have the money to pay for an attorney.

There are a number of possible ways to find free immigration lawyers in Seattle. One option is to contact local law schools to determine if any of the schools have an immigration law clinic. You may be able to work with law students at the clinic who are supervised by licensed free immigration lawyers in Seattle.

Another option may be to contact your local legal aid society. In some cases, freeĀ immigration lawyers in Seattle are available through legal aid. In other instances, you may be able to get very low-cost legal services or get a referral to a lawyer who will work for free.

Finally, a third option for those looking for free immigration lawyers in Seattle is to find an attorney who is willing to work pro bono (for free). Lawyers in all types of firms and in firms of all sizes may do pro bono work to give back to their communities

Be aware, however, that finding free immigration lawyers in Seattle can be difficult and that you might have to wait for a long time to get legal help. You also may not be able to find free immigration lawyers in Seattle who specialize in your particular type of case or who have the legal expertise you need to have the best chances of success. Before committing to only work with free immigration lawyers in Seattle, therefore, you should consult with an attorney who specializes in the area of law relevant to you. You may find that the cost is reasonable and decide it is worth paying a bit for a lot of legal expertise.