Shelton DUI Attorney

Leaders in Shelton DUI Defense Since 2000

Experienced Shelton DUI Lawyer

If you have been arrested for driving under the influence in the City of Shelton or anywhere in Mason County, WA, you will likely be required to appear in court the next court day for your arraignment.
At court, you will be told what the charge is against you, the penalties if convicted, and the rights that you have as a defendant in a criminal case
The judge will ask you to sign a paper indicating you have been advised of your rights, then you will be asked to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty.
In most cases, a plea of not guilty is your best choice. The court will then impose conditions of release (or if you have a significant history of prior offenses, you may be taken into custody and required to post bail for your release) especially if this is not your first DUI.

Your First Court Appearance

What to Expect

Arrangement at Court

In Mason County, officers or State Troopers often direct file DUI cases with the court, prompting a hearing within 72 hours of the arrest or incident. Since COVID-19, these direct filings have been delayed. Contact us right away to see if you have a scheduled hearing.
As mentioned above, your first hearing is the arraignment. This is your opportunity to enter a not-guilty plea so that we can fight for your rights, no matter how guilty you may feel.
Having an attorney present for this hearing is an absolute must if you have prior alcohol-related convictions.
Depending on which court you are assigned to in Mason County, we may recommend the filing of an Affidavit of Prejudice upon the presiding judge. We only have 7 days from the arraignment to file this affidavit so please contact us right away.

Conditions Of Release

If you have no prior alcohol or driving-related offenses, the conditions will typically be:

That you remain law-abiding
Not drive without a valid license and insurance
Not consume alcohol or go to places where it is served

However, if you have certain prior convictions or failures to appear in court, the court may impose more onerous conditions, including taking you into custody and requiring bail to be posted for your release, requiring the installation of an ignition interlock device in any vehicles you drive, and other measures designed to keep you from drinking and driving.

Pretrial Hearings

Following this, you will be given a date to return for a pretrial hearing usually 30 to 45 days from the arraignment. This will give us time to request the evidence against you and begin our investigation. You should expect to have at least two pretrial hearings before your case is concluded.

You Only Have 7 Days to request a hearing

If your license was valid when you were stopped or contacted by the officer, it is still valid now, but in a “temporary” status. After your arrest, the officer notifies DOL of the arrest and they begin the process of annotating your driving record and sending you a letter stating the date your license will be suspended or revoked.
Currently, that date is usually 30 days from the date of the arrest. To contest this action, you must request a hearing within 7 days of your arrest.
This rule is strictly enforced, so if you have been arrested for a DUI even though you have not been charged with a DUI (yet), you still must act in a timely manner to try to save your license.
You should be aware that the DOL hearing and the criminal matter are two entirely different cases; rarely will one have any impact on the other. In the alternative, you may obtain a temporary restricted driver’s license that allows you to drive while your license is suspended for a DUI arrest.

3 Reasons to Hire Us

Experience

Our Team of Attorneys and Paralegals have over 30 years of combined experience. We know the law and understand how to apply it to your case.

Focused on You

We create a custom defense for every client. Not all cases are the same and we know that. Your concerns and goals are our top priority.

Reputation

As a long time author and speaker Ms. Callahan is respected across the county for her trial skills and investigative knowledge. He reputation proceeds herself when appearing in court.

Do I need a Lawyer? What could happen without one?

Potential Outcomes

At Callahan Law, P.S., Inc., we fight to obtain for you the best possible resolution of your case. Typically, we research and draft motions and legal briefing designed to attack the prosecution’s evidence.
Sometimes, because of these efforts, the prosecution may offer a reduction of the charge to something lesser than a DUI.
When the facts of the case do not allow for a reduction, there is the option of making the prosecution prove the case at trial.
Our mission is to strive to resolve your case with the least possible consequences to you. Why? Because if you plead guilty, you will be convicted and suffer the harsh consequences of conviction.

Conviction Penalties

These include:

Mandatory jail time
Mandatory fines
Costs and assessments
A mandatory ignition interlock device on your vehicle
Up to 5 years of probation
Mandatory substance abuse assessment and treatment if prescribed
Attendance at alcohol information school and a DUI Victims’ Impact Panel
Suspended or revoked license.

Other Potential Consequences

There are consequences that follow outside the courtroom. You will have to obtain SR22 insurance, and your insurance rates may go up or your policy may be canceled.
You may experience problems with your employment because of the time you need to take off for court, or because of the conviction.
You may have trouble renting a car on vacation or business trips and entering foreign countries, such as Canada, with a DUI conviction.
We help people like you every day avoid these serious consequences. Give us a call today to find out how we can help you.

DUI Case Results

**Updated 08/03/2023**

DUI's Reduced

9 0 %

DUI's Dismissed

DUI's > Neg 1

DUI's > Reckless Driving

DOL Hearings Won

You Deserve The Best Defense Lawyers

plan of action

know your rights

Washington State has some of the toughest DUI laws in our nation. These laws carry increasingly severe penalties for those who drink and drive. Washington lowered the BAC limit from .10 to 0.08 in January of 1999. Drivers with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) at .08 or above can now be convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol. In addition, because public sentiment is so very negative toward drunk drivers, prosecutors will often pursue a DUI conviction even when the driver’s test result is well under .08! This is possible because they can obtain a conviction if they can show the person drove while “affected by” alcohol, and/or marijuana or any drug, including prescription or over-the-counter medications.

1st Offense

2nd Offense

3rd Offense

4th Offense

Deferred Prosecution

Court Process

Penalties

Avoid Serious Penalties

Evidence

Learn how we win DUI Cases every day.

License Suspension

Win your DOL Hearing or Drive Legally