A DUI is a serious charge that can bring with it a hefty amount of penalties in the state of Washington. These penalties can be more severe if you have a previous criminal history or this is your second or third offense for a DUI with marijuana.

When you've been charged with a DUI, the consequences could extend to fines, jail time, license suspension or revocation, and a wide array of additional penalties, which is why it's essential that you always fight a marijuana DUI.

Here at the Law Office of Mark Garka, our Mill Creek DUI attorney is dedicated towards helping individuals who have been charged with a marijuana DUI to bolster their defense and potentially lessen the charges that they're facing.

Why You Should Fight a Marijuana DUI

The primary reason that you should always fight a marijuana DUI is because the charges that you're facing could be reduced or dismissed altogether. If you don't fight a marijuana DUI, there's no reason for a judge to provide you with a lesser sentence.

While a marijuana DUI is typically a misdemeanor offense, there are instances when the charge could be upgraded to a felony, which is something that carries with it many more penalties and consequences.

While fighting against a marijuana DUI can help to reduce the amount of penalties that you're sentenced to, it can also prove your innocence in certain situations. For instance, the way in which the arrest was performed by the arresting officer can play a substantial role in the charges that are brought against you. If one aspect of the arrest was not performed the way it should have been, the entire case against you may have very little legal standing to it.

Some of the issues that could occur within an arrest on the suspicion of driving while under the influence include the officer failing to provide the proper test to determine ability to drive, the officer never mentioning your Miranda rights, and the officer not having actual cause to have pulled you over in the first place.

No matter the severity of the penalties you may be facing, fighting a marijuana DUI means that you have a chance to lower your penalties, which is always something that you should fight for. At the Law Office of Mark Garka, our Snohomish County DUI lawyer is dedicated towards building strong cases for all our clients since we understand that everyone is innocent until proven guilty.

Penalties Associated With a Marijuana DUI

The penalties associated with a marijuana can be severe. However, the severity of the penalties depends on a wide range of factors. Most marijuana DUI charges are misdemeanors, which means that the amount of jail time and fines that you face likely won't be too extensive.

Keep in mind that you could be facing a felony charge if this has been your fifth arrest for a DUI in 10 years, if you've been convicted in the past of a vehicular assault or homicide pertaining to a DUI, or if you have any prior felony DUI conviction.

The main offenses related to a marijuana DUI are divided into three categories of first offense, second offense, or third or more offense.

These are strict penalties that must be adhered to by a judge given the fact that Washington is a "mandatory minimum" state, which means that the sentencing guidelines are mandatory as opposed to being recommendations. However, a Snohomish County DUI lawyer such as ours may be able to reduce the charges you're facing or help find you innocent altogether.

How Our Law Office Can Help

Fighting against a marijuana DUI is no easy task, which is why you'll need someone with significant legal experience on your side. We have garnered a substantial amount of experience in handling all kinds of DUI cases, which is why you can be confident that we understand what it takes to win such a case.

It is our goal to effectively help you by formulating a winning defense strategy while also filling out any paperwork and advising you on what your next steps should be. Our legal representation can assist you in lowering the penalties that you're being charged with.

If you've been charged with a marijuana DUI and would like legal assistance that would fight for your case and possibly reduce charges, call the Law Office of Mark Garka today to get in touch with our skilled legal team so that we can start to review your case and build a defense.