DUI charges filed into Seattle Municipal Court generally are filed in one of two ways. Either the arresting officer files the charge directly into the court or the prosecuting attorney files the charge after review of the arresting officer’s report.

The most common method is for the Seattle Police Officer who processed the DUI to serve notice on the individual to appear in court for an arraignment within 48-72 hours of arrest. The officer would then file a copy of the citation with the court and provide a copy of his police report detailing the incident to the City Attorney’s Office. If the DUI charge was filed into court in this manner, it is imperative that a Seattle DUI defense lawyer be contacted immediately. The prosecutors in Seattle Municipal Court will likely request that serious pretrial conditions be imposed at arraignment. The judges in this court routinely give serious consideration to such requests.

If the arresting officer has not had the opportunity to draft a full report of the incident or if additional evidence, such as blood test results, are pending, the case may not be filed immediately. In such cases, where there is this type of delay, the officer will file the completed report with the City Attorney. The City will then notify the court of its intent to file the charge and the court will send out notice of the arraignment to the defendant.

Even in cases where there is a delay in filing, a Seattle DUI lawyer should be contacted as soon as possible.  Not only will being proactive help assist in your ultimate defense, there are other obligations, such as requesting a hearing from the Washington Department of Licensing, that must occur in a relatively short time frame.  See Washington State DOL.  If you have been arrested for DUI in Seattle, please call the Seattle DUI attorneys at Milios Defense for a free consultation or to answer any questions you may have.