Find the right attorney with the right experience

There are many technical defenses that are available in DUI cases. However, many criminal lawyers may not be aware of those defenses. That’s why you need an experienced DUI defense attorney to defend you if you have been charged with drunk driving.

I’m Schöen Parnell, a DUI lawyer with offices in Lynnwood and Kirkland. I have extensive experience defending people charged with DUI, BUI and other alcohol-related charges in Washington state.

There are few criminal cases as difficult to defend as drunk driving. Some attorneys say that DUI is almost on a par with a serious felony charge in the complexity of legal issues you will face. Your DUI case may involve:

• Constitutional law. Did the police have a legal basis for pulling you over? Did the officer have probable cause to arrest you? Did the implied consent warning read to you at the station violate your due process rights?
• Scientific evidence. Breath test evidence is not as straightforward as it seems. Was the machine properly calibrated? Was the operator certified? Was the test properly administered? Do the results accurately reflect your blood alcohol levels at the time you were pulled over?
• Knowledge of local judges and prosecutors. Every judge and prosecuting attorney office in Washington state is different. How has the judge in your case ruled in the past on specific suppression arguments? Does this prosecutor take a hard line on your type of case?

You will never know if you have a viable defense in your DUI case unless you consult an experienced DUI/DWI defense lawyer. Any attorney can walk into a prosecutor’s office and try to work out a plea bargain. However, only an experienced lawyer will know if a specific plea bargain is a good result based on the facts of your case.

What can I expect if I choose to hire Schöen

As your lawyer, I will review all reports and evidence. I will investigate the scene and interview the police officers and witnesses. Since an important part of your defense consists of weakening the prosecutor’s case, I file and argue motions to suppress evidence. This helps ensure that the prosecutor’s first offer is not their last offer. If the prosecutor does not offer an acceptable plea bargain, I am always prepared to defend you at trial.

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