Being charged with a crime is an emotionally charged event. It can be scary, nerve-racking, embarrassing, anxious, and frustrating, just to name a few emotions. Whether you are charged with a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, or a felony, our criminal defense lawyers at South Sound Law Group take great pride in representing all of our clients with great skill, experience, and compassion.

A criminal charge can put you at risk for jail time (or prison time), large fines, probation, and a host of other additional requirements (at a cost to you) like classes and/or evaluations for mental health, alcohol or drug abuse, anger management, or domestic violence courses. In addition, depending on the type of charge you are facing, you could face license suspensions or revocations and immigration consequences. You could lose your ability to receive certain types of federal programs, like student loans, as well as the loss of other important constitutional rights, like your right to possess a firearm or your right to vote.

Whatever you’re facing, we have the team of highly qualified criminal defense attorneys to get you through this difficult time. We strive to not only provide excellent representation but also to provide you with peace of mind by creating the necessary trust that you know we’re doing everything we can for you. We also believe that it is our duty to help guide you through the entire process, like where to get an evaluation, how to get your license reinstated, etc.

Contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer at South Sound Law Group to speak about your criminal charges today.

Our attorneys have represented clients in state and federal courts in various types of criminal cases, from violent crimes to misdemeanor charges. Whatever criminal offenses you were charged with, you have civil rights that deserve to be defended. The lawyers of our firm will provide steadfast defense to the accused in an attempt to see charges dropped or reduced, or in hopes of jail time and fines being limited.

Our law offices represent clients in western Washington accused of the following:

• Assault.
• Domestic violence.
• Drug charges.
• DUI.
• Harassment.
• Malicious mischief.
• Minor in possession.
• Theft, robbery, and stolen property crimes.
• Vehicular Assault and Vehicular Homicide.

If you do not see your particular criminal offense listed here, please contact a defense attorney at our firm anyway, as we may still be able to provide legal assistance in other practice areas relating to criminal law not listed on our website. Our law offices provide a free consultation to all new clients.

Whatever the facts may be regarding your guilt for this particular crime or your past criminal record, a good criminal defense attorney still has legal options that they could utilize to see to it that the criminal justice system treats you with more lenience. Oftentimes, building a strong criminal defense involves looking into the investigation, the arrest, the warrants, and the clues, trying to find some violation which was committed along the way by law enforcement. In some cases, such an violation could see a case dismissed, as vital evidence may be deemed illegitimate. Other times, these legal matters may at the very least go a long way towards helping your case and softening the charges against you.

Your lawyer may look into whether arresting officers had no probable cause or no warrant for their searches. Police can be overly aggressive, sometimes negligent, and have on occasion abused their position of authority. Whatever you are accused of your rights still matter, and your criminal defense attorney will defend them to the end.

It is important to remember that you are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. In trial, the lawyers representing the government must establish proof that you committed the crimes you are accused of.

Even if you are in fact innocent of all criminal charges, it is not safe to assume that the legal system will be on your side. It is tempting to think that right will always triumph, but state and federal government lawyers pull out all the stops when criminal cases go to trial. Regardless of your confidence, it is important that you seek legal help from a defense attorney experienced in the charges you have been accused of.

If you’re facing criminal charges, please contact South Sound Law Group to schedule a free consultation.

Almost as frightening as the feeling of handcuffs snapping shut over your wrists is the chilling phone call in the middle of the night from your child, calling from a jail cell. Though statistics show that juvenile arrests are trending downwards in recent years — 2019 saw fewer minors arrested for crimes than any year over the past four decades — there are still hundreds of thousands of juvenile arrests made each year across the United States.

Studies show that young people of color are arrested more frequently and treated differently by the juvenile justice system. And while males made up the majority of those arrested, females now make up a third of the minors accused of illegal offenses in the country.

While it can be tempting to brush this arrest off as part of being young in America, juvenile matters of a legal sort tend to follow a person as they get older, with a criminal record making it harder for them to get a job, a loan, or housing.

Thankfully, the state of Washington recognizes that bringing the full force of the criminal justice system down on young people is not helpful to them or to society. Washington attempts to rehabilitate minors charged with crimes in hopes that they do not become lifelong criminals. This often involves community service and other features of government-run rehabilitation programs.

With a criminal defense attorney, it is possible to argue for lighter sentencing. In addition, if the minor does what the courts ask of them, in time it may be possible to have their criminal records sealed.

Domestic abuse and violence are a problem in this country, with millions of claims being made every year. A DV Assault charge may be accompanied by a number of other offenses, such as assault, harassment, reckless endangerment, malicious mischief, threats made with a deadly weapon, rape, kidnapping or false imprisonment, criminal trespassing, burglary, coercion, and damaged property crimes. In some of the most unfortunate cases, domestic abuse ends with a charge for manslaughter or murder.

To be charged, the law says that the two must share the same living space, be romantic partners (or ex-partners), have a child together, or otherwise be directly related to one another. It’s important to know that, to be convicted of a domestic violence crime, the accused does not even need to lay a finger on the other person. Emotional abuse, psychological abuse, and financial or economic abuse all qualify as violence of a domestic variety.

If the officer who arrives on the scene and believes they have probable cause that a domestic violence crime has been committed, it is their duty to arrest the aggressor. In addition, the victim cannot drop the charges once they’ve been filed — only the prosecutor has this option.

The majority of DV cases in Washington state are Gross misdemeanors, Assault 4th degree being the most common. A gross misdemeanor charge can result in nearly a year of jail time and fines up to $5,000.

It can be a felony but requires prior convictions for violations of NCOs, may be charged as felonies. A Class C felony domestic violence case may result in five years of prison time and fines up to $10,000. Whereas a Class A DV felony could come with a lifetime prison sentence and fines up to $50,000.

As with any other crime, those who have been charged are considered innocent until proven guilty. The prosecutor must prove every element of the criminal charge beyond a reasonable doubt and it is up to the criminal defense attorney to argue to the jury that they’ve failed to meet their burden.

We have represented clients charged with violence against their domestic partners before. Every person deserves a fair trial and a strong defense, and you will find a lawyer at our firm ready and willing to provide you with that. If you’re facing DV charges, particularly for an incident which caused severe personal injury to another person, please do not wait to talk to a lawyer about these very serious legal matters.

A criminal charge is scary and can be complicated; it’s our job to provide direction and calm. If you meet with a local criminal defense lawyer and they aren’t willing to spend the time with you, answer questions, and explain the legal process before you’ve given them any money, how do you think they will behave once you’ve entered the courtroom?

Whether you are looking to build a defense against accusations of criminal misconduct or you need help with a DUI defense or other criminal traffic violation, you will find experienced attorneys at our firm ready to provide you with a dedicate and aggressive legal defense.

Still have questions? Give us a call and speak with a member of our legal team or better yet, call or e-mail to set up an appointment to meet face to face.

Schedule your confidential free consultation with the law offices of South Sound Law Group today.

Our legal team can be reached at 253-383-3328.

Being arrested for a DUI is both scary and overwhelming. Our firm has been defending people arrested and charged with DUI for over 40 years. We believe that part of our job is to provide you as much information as we can, so that you can make the most informed decision for you.

Often, a DUI charge is the first and only interaction people will have as a defendant in our criminal justice system.

It can be an overwhelming experience and not something to take lightly. You need an attorney that will not only fight hard for you but one that can guide you through the whole process. We pride ourselves on taking the stress from our clients so they can get back to their lives.

Below you will find answers to some of the most common questions our clients have had over the years.

At any point in your research, feel free to call us at 253-383-3328 to speak with an experienced member of our team or to set up a free consultation. We offer free case evaluations for all our DUI clients.

A DUI charge has both criminal and civil license consequences that could cause your license to be suspended or revoked. You have a short time to respond to the civil license sanctions by the Department of Licensing. You need to act fast or else you will lose your chance to fight the charges.

If you are arrested for a DUI because you have a blood or breath alcohol level over the legal limit, or if you are accused of refusing to take the breath test, you are at risk of having your driver’s license suspended. If this is your first offense, your license could be suspended for a minimum or 90 days or revoked for a year. If you have had prior offenses, you could lose your license for several years.

Your first DUI conviction will also require at least one day in jail (with a maximum of 364 days in jail) and fines up to $5,000.

The installation of an ignition interlock device (IID) is now required with all DUI convictions in the state of Washington. There is typically a five-year probation period for everyone found guilty of a DUI.

If you have a prior conviction for DUI, or a prior DUI charge that was reduced, you will be facing severe mandatory minimum jail time and increased fines on your current DUI charge.

A conviction of a second DUI offense within seven years can result in license suspension of 2 years or more. These defendants must also serve either 30 days in jail or 60 days of house arrest with electronic home monitoring.

Additional DUI charges within the same seven years result in even harsher consequences.

Hiring an attorney that is experienced in handling cases with prior DUI offenses is critical if you hope to avoid lengthy jail time, expensive fines, and loss of your license.

With the increased use of prescription drugs and both recreational and medical marijuana, there has been a steady increase in drug DUI arrests and charges.  Defending these types of DUIs is different from the common alcohol DUI.

The evidence the government will attempt to use against you is subject to different attacks and arguments.  Having an attorney that knows how to handle this type of DUI is critical to the outcome of the case. Make sure any attorney you speak with knows what they are talking about and can provide more than adequate legal help for you through this criminal process.

There are a number of ways in which a person can be charged with a Felony DUI and all of them should be taken extremely seriously. A felony charge puts you at risk of much longer prison sentences, higher fines, and greater loss of rights.  

Felony DUI cases often involve multiple prior DUI charges or serious injury to another person. Either way, it is an absolute necessity to hire an attorney experienced in handling felony DUI charges, such a DUI lawyer at the South Sound Law Group in Tacoma, WA.

A minor arrested for a DUI charge can be facing either a “Minor DUI” or a regular DUI, depending on the amount of alcohol, marijuana, or drugs in their system.

A conviction for any alcohol or drug offenses as a minor can have serious long-term consequences for a young person’s life. It can impact future employment, education, and insurance rates. 

Due to the serious nature of these types of offenses and the age of the minor, judges and prosecutors are always cautious in the manner in which they deal with these cases. It’s important to hire a criminal defense lawyer familiar with Minor DUIs.

As with all other types of criminal cases, an individual charged with a DUI in the state of Washington has the right to a legal defense.

Blood alcohol breathalyzer tests have been established to be unreliable when presented as evidence, so your DUI lawyer may want to examine the results of such a test. Other times, these cases come down to the behavior of the arresting officers. Your DUI attorney may review the case and find that the officer had no probable cause to stop you or search you, or perhaps extended the stop beyond reason.

Some people arrested for a DUI weren’t even the ones behind the wheel of the car during the arrest. It is not fair to risk jail time and license suspension for driving under the influence when you were not the one driving. If this was the case, the lead attorney on your case will raise this point in your defense.

If you were not properly arrested and read your rights, then your DUI defense attorney may be able to use this to your benefit in a courtroom trial as well.

The prosecution wants you to feel hopeless in a time like this but there is always hope and there are always defense strategies available. Speak to our law firm to learn how our attorneys may be able to assist you.

As with reckless driving or a negligent driving charge, being found guilty of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol can result in severe, life-altering consequences. Drivers could risk license suspension, extended jail time, costly legal fees, as well as a mandatory ignition interlock device.

But there are lawyers available to you who can provide you with a strong defense, which may result in reductions or dismissals. It is possible that, with the right DUI attorney, you could see prison time replaced with community service, probation, and DUI programs.

You don’t want just any attorney with a Washington law degree. You want someone who works diligently but also someone with years of experience, backed up by a legal team of professionals who’ve helped clients just like you out of legal issues just like this before. You will find such DUI attorneys at the law offices of the South Sound Law Group in Tacoma, WA.

While no outcome can be guaranteed, DUI offenders can trust that they are better off with the strong representation of an attorney from our office while facing down the might of the state’s criminal justice system. Make no mistake about it, the prosecution will go to great lengths to see all drunk drivers in the state punished to the greatest extents of the law. That is why you need a DUI lawyer who will fight just as aggressively to defend your case in the courtroom.

Our law firm offers a confidential and free consultation to all potential new clients. If you do not feel that a DUI lawyer from our law offices is suited to you and your needs, you are under no obligation to retain our legal services. But if you are lost and looking for help through this difficult legal situation, then you will find that assistance here. We welcome every person who enters our offices with respect and decency.

If you are facing a DUI charge based on marijuana, drugs, alcohol, or a combination thereof, give our attorneys a call today to schedule a free consultation. 253-383-3328.

Being issued a traffic ticket is just about the quickest way to ruin someone’s day. Whether you believe these tickets help to encourage everyone to drive safely and follow the rules of the road, or you think they are just a way for the government to make money, the consequences for receiving a ticket could include license suspension, increased insurance rates, or, in the case of a commercial driver’s license holder, the loss of your job.

Although speeding is the most common type of ticket most people will have to deal with, a driver could be issued a ticket for:

• lack of proof of insurance,
• no valid license on person,
• following too close,
• failure to yield or stop at a red light or stop sign,
• failure to signal,
• cell phone violation,
• texting,
• passing a stopped school bus,
• driving on the wrong side of the road or going the wrong way down a one-way street,
• improper lane travel,
• violation of the carpool/HOV lane,
• or negligent driving in the second degree, just to name a few.

If you want to try and avoid negative legal consequences happening to you, hiring an experienced and skilled traffic lawyer will put you in a best position for a positive outcome.

If you hire our top-rated traffic ticket lawyers, our law office will take over everything from there. It is very unlikely you will have to appear at your contested hearing. Our goal is to take all the stress and worry about your ticket off your shoulders. Our #1 goal is always to get your ticket dismissed.  If that is not an option, we will work to get your ticket amended to a lesser infraction, like a non-moving violation.

Below you will find a small bit of information about the most common types of tickets drivers receive. This is no way an exhaustive list and so having us review your ticket is always recommended.  You will also find answers to the most common questions we receive.

If during your research you wish to talk to a member of our legal team, you may contact us at 253-383-3328.

A speeding ticket is the most common type of ticket drivers receive. Often, the long-term harm to your insurance rates is worth the cost of hiring an attorney to contest the ticket instead of simply paying it.

Fighting a speeding ticket involves knowing extensive case law, the rules of evidence, how the radar and laser devices work, the type of maintenance and calibration these machines need to function properly, what testimony the officer is required to provide to support the charge, and a host of other arguments and technical know-how. A good attorney knows what arguments a judge will accept and what arguments they will reject. Our local speeding ticket lawyers have extensive experience in every court in western Washington and we know how the different judges operate.

Our speeding ticket attorneys also know which courts have a prosecutor present for hearings. Not every court has a prosecutor present for traffic ticket hearings. Thus, knowing what issues are apparent in your ticket, knowing the judge, and then arguing/negotiating with the prosecutor may mean the difference between having your ticket found committed versus dismissed or amended to a non-moving violation, saving you money. We take great pride in knowing all the moving parts of a high-quality experienced traffic ticket defense.

Although fighting traffic tickets seems like an easy level of the practice of law, to do it well over a long period of time takes a certain talent and skill. Our law offices have been successfully fighting traffic tickets for over 40 years. In fact, we handle the traffic tickets for the kids of many of our early clients.

A ticket for Negligent Driving in the Second Degree is also a common ticket but is considered a more significant traffic violation than a mere speeding ticket. A conviction for a negligent driving second degree can have a disastrous impact on your insurance rates and prosecutors will look unfavorably on your driving record if you are ever facing a criminal traffic charge in the future.

In addition, the fines on this infraction are high, at minimum $550. If there is any traffic ticket worth hiring an attorney for, it’s this charge. Just make sure whomever you hire is an attorney that has a history of successfully defending negligent driving tickets, like we’ve got here at South Sound Law Group.

A person may be found guilty of negligent driving in the second degree if, under circumstances not constituting negligent driving in the first degree, he or she operates a motor vehicle in a manner that is both negligent and endangers, or is likely to endanger, any person or property.

In this case, “negligent” means the failure to exercise ordinary care when behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.

These infractions can be issued when the officer witnesses your driving, and thus, can act as a better witness for the government because they have personal knowledge of the actual driving. This infraction can also be issued as a result of an accident, often without the officer even witnessing the accident.

Defending these types of charges is always very fact specific, because the law enforcement officer has to provide enough details to show you were operating your vehicle in a manner that was both negligent and endangered or was likely to endanger persons or property. Thus, breaking the speed limit alone is usually insufficient without more facts.

Hiring an experienced and skilled legal team familiar with fighting this type of charge is critical to give yourself a better chance of obtaining a favorable outcome. Rarely do people representing themselves succeed in defending themselves in a courtroom against these types of charges.

Our firm has over 40 years of fighting Negligent Driving in the Second Degree infractions all over Washington. South Sound Law Group has the traffic ticket attorneys you want fighting for you!

When an officer makes a determination that you were at fault for an accident, you should worry about more than just the fine. First, an accident where you are found to be at fault will often raise your insurance rates. Second, insurance companies will often point to the fact that the officer found you at fault for the accident when analyzing civil claims. Fighting these types of tickets can have a greater impact than simply the cost of the ticket.

The most common tickets associated with an accident are:

• Following too closely,
• Negligent Driving 2nd degree,
• Right of way infractions – this includes failing to stop, failing to yield, vehicle’s entering the highway from private road or driveway, driving on the wrong side of the road, and failure to properly signal.

Fighting these types of charges often hinges upon the fact that the officer was not present when the accident occurred. Thus, the government must rely on statements made by you, the other driver, and witnesses at the scene, if any. The government may also have some physical evidence or expert testimony if the officer is trained as an accident re-constructionist.

These types of tickets are always very fact specific and those facts will determine how to build your defense. This could be interviewing witnesses, taking pictures at the scene with you, preparing and obtaining declarations in support of your case, video evidence, or even hiring a professional to testify. It is unknown what will be needed to fight the charge, but having an experienced accident attorney is your surest way to obtaining a favorable outcome.

If you were the victim of an automobile accident, we have experienced injury attorneys ready to help as well. Contact our law offices to schedule a free consultation.

No matter the violation, the consequences to Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) holders and business owners who receive tickets in their Commercial Motor Vehicles can be severe and put your job or business at risk. If you fall into this category, call us today to find out why you should always hire an experienced attorney to contest any ticket involving a CDL holder. We have a long history of fighting over-weight tickets, defective equipment, registration tickets, and accidents where the commercial driver was found at fault on the scene, just to name a few.

We work closely with numerous businesses in the industry and understand the unique facts and circumstances of driving commercial motor vehicles and the critical need to obtain a favorable result when a person has a CDL or a business operates commercial motor vehicles. Over the years we’ve helped our CDL clients save tens of thousands of dollars in fines and likely hundred’s of thousands of dollars in insurance savings.

Driving a commercial vehicle these days is really tough. Everyone is on their phones or cutting you off when switching lanes. We take great pride in defending our commercial business and CDL clients because it often means protecting another local small business.

If you have a Commercial Driver’s License and received a ticket in your personal vehicle, or you got a ticket while driving a Commercial Motor Vehicle, or you are a business owner operating CMVs, and one of your drivers got a ticket, contact our law office today to speak with a member of our experienced legal team and find out all of your options.

Generally, when you receive a ticket, you have a few options.

• Pay the fine – In doing this, you are admitting that you committed the infraction, you must pay the fine listed on the ticket (failure to do so can lead to your license being suspended and/or being sent to collections).  In addition, the committed finding will be listed on your Abstract Driving Record and often will negatively affect your insurance rates.
• Mitigation Hearing – In requesting a mitigation hearing you are admitting that you committed the infraction, but will be asking the court to reduce the fine.  As above, because you are admitting that you committed the infraction you will be found “guilty” and will face all of the same negative consequences listed above, but hopefully, a smaller fine than listed on the ticket.
• Contested Hearing – In requesting a contested hearing you are NOT admitting that you committed the infraction and are challenging this fact. When you request a contested hearing, you will receive a hearing date and must appear on that date. A contested hearing calendar is usually an hour or two and you should clear your schedule for that amount of time as you never know how long it will take. Failing to appear will result in a committed finding, the issuance of the fine, and the Failure to Appear will be reported to the Dept. of Licensing. Depending on the court you could be facing a prosecutor who may call the officer and/or State experts to prove their case. You will have to present your defense on your own to the judge and you have the ability to subpoena the officer, call witnesses, and present evidence. However, you will still be held to the standard of a licensed attorney even though you are representing yourself “pro se.” If you lose a contested hearing you can appeal it to a higher court.

If this sounds daunting, your other option would be to hire an experienced skilled traffic attorney to contest the ticket for you; you very likely would not have to show up to court, the attorney would appear for you and do all the work, and hiring an attorney would put you in the best position for a favorable outcome.

• Contested Hearing by Affidavit – Some courts allow you to contest your ticket by simply mailing in an affidavit laying out your argument. If you choose to submit an affidavit by mail, you will not have to appear for a hearing in court, but you are not able to appeal the decision should you lose.
• Deferred Prosecution – This option is only available once every seven years and you may use this once for a moving violation and once for a non-moving violation during that seven year timeframe.  When entering into a deferred prosecution you will be required to pay a fee and you cannot have any new violations within a set term (usually six months to a year).  Each court handles these a little differently including the amount for the fee and the amount of time you must remain violation free. If you do receive a new ticket and you are found to be in violation and your deferred ticket is revoked, it will be found committed, and depending on the court, you may have to pay an additional fine on the revoked ticket.

While there is no requirement for you to hire legal attorney, doing so will put you in the most favorable position to receive a satisfying outcome. An experienced and skilled traffic attorney will be more familiar with what evidence is necessary for the judge to find you committed the infraction, the foundation required for the judge to admit any evidence the government will attempt to use, and how to effectively cross-examine any of the government’s witnesses, among other challenges.

Hiring a skilled traffic attorney could put you in a good position to see your tickets dismissed. However, even if all the evidence is stacked against you, a lawyer can often negotiate with the prosecutor to have your moving violation amended to a non-moving violation, a small fine, and potentially a traffic school class, which should help avoid an increase in your insurance rates.

If you decide to hire South Sound Law Group to handle your traffic ticket or speeding ticket we will take over the entire process for you once we receive your payment and case number. We will let the courts and the prosecutors know that we are your legal representation and we will make a request for any and all discovery the government intends to use.

Once we receive the facts (often just a police report), we may or may not need to discuss it with you. It is at this stage when we will decide whether you will need to be present for the hearing or not. Usually, the only reason we would need you present at the hearing is if the officer has written in their report statements attributed to you, that the judge could interpret as a confession.

If you did not make the statements the officer puts in their report, you may need to be present to refute them, however, most of the time we can avoid your presence in court by having you sign a declaration that we will prepare, which is used as your testimony. The reason for this is because the standard of proof is lower in these cases and many judges believe that a confession is enough to reach the preponderance threshold.

However, for the large majority of our clients, they will never have to step foot in a courtroom. We will appear on your behalf at the contested hearing.

If your case looks weak or if there is a concern that your ticket may be found committed regardless of our strongest arguments, we will discuss your options.  Often, the most critical aspect of the conversation is whether you would accept an amendment to a non-moving violation, thus avoiding an increase in your insurance rates, but that also carries a fine. Whether accepting an amendment is something you want to do should always be your decision, not your attorneys.

Our goal on a ticket is always a dismissal. Sometimes that is possible, sometimes not. If dismissal is not an option, depending on your history (how many tickets you’ve had lifetime and type) getting a prosecutor to amend a charge can become more complicated.

In order to obtain the most favorable result, sometimes that requires more than simply paying a fine.

The most common tools we can use to get a dismissal or an amendment are:

• Defensive Driving Traffic School (this could be in-person or online),
• Community service,
• Work crew,
• or even an anger management class.

We believe we are only limited by our creativity and what the prosecutor will accept. For some drivers, the need to keep a ticket off their record is more important than having to do a little work to get there.

Although the best answer to the above question is “It Depends,” we will make sure to always discuss these options with you before accepting any offer. The choice should always be yours and not your traffic ticket attorney. Why? Because you have to spend the money or the time, not your attorney.

Nonetheless, having these alternatives can be a great tool to achieve a positive result, especially for people whose driving record is of paramount importance. Having an experienced infraction attorney that is familiar with all the tools available puts you in the best position to have your ticket resolved in a positive manner.

Most drivers want to fight a traffic ticket to avoid increased insurance premiums. For most insurance companies, certain moving or non-moving violations will not impact the cost of your insurance. This means that in a courtroom where there is a prosecutor present it provides an additional way to obtain a desired result. Some prosecutors will offer this to pro se defendants as well, but you will have a better chance of receiving a favorable amendment if you hire an attorney. Moreover, an experienced traffic attorney will always try to find a way to get the case dismissed first, before looking to obtain an amendment.

Having this option available can be very helpful when faced with an unwinnable case, a difficult judge, or when the risk to fight and lose is too great for that driver. As stated above, your attorney should discuss all of your options prior to your contested hearing rather than just making this decision for you without consulting you first.

When accepting an amendment to a non-moving violation there will still be a fine associated with the amendment because you will be found committed on the non-moving violation. This fine can range from a cost below the price on the original ticket to several hundred dollars more.

This price difference depends on your record, the facts of the case, and which court you are in. It is this reason why a prosecutor would be willing to offer an amendment, the government gets a little money and doesn’t have to have a full contested hearing, and the driver gets a break and hopefully learns their lesson.

Again, your attorney should obtain your authority to accept an amendment prior to accepting it, especially if it involves these add-ons.

If you want to hire us to fight your ticket or if you have more questions, please give us a call at 253-383-3328 and speak to a member of our experienced legal team.

Let our team help you determine if you are eligible to have your firearm rights restored. Below you will find helpful information to lead you in the right direction, but speaking directly to a lawyer is your best bet. We can help you get started and guide you through the process. The controlling statute for restoring your firearm rights is RCW 9.41.040.

Note that being restricted for any period of time, can impact your ability to keep and/or qualify for a concealed pistol license. Give us a call if you have more specific questions about Concealed Pistol Licenses, or visit the Dept. of Licensing’s webpage here.

WHERE TO RESTORE YOUR FIREARM RIGHTS

You may petition to have your firearm rights restored at either:

• The court that prohibited your right to possess firearms; or
• The Superior court in the county where you reside.

Under Washington law, if you were convicted of a class A felony you are ineligible to have your firearm rights restored

If you were convicted of a sex offense you are ineligible to have you firearm rights restored; UNLESS it was committed as a juvenile. You can restore your rights after your juvenile conviction record is sealed.

If you were convicted of a class B or C felony, then you are eligible after ANY consecutive 5 year crime free period (start with date of offense, not conviction date) if you have no previous felonies that count as part of the offender score.

If you were convicted of a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor offense, then you are eligible after any consecutive 3 year crime free period, if you have no previous felonies that count as part of your offender score AND you must have completed all conditions of your sentence. This includes all financial obligations, community service, work crew, treatment, etc.

NOTE: Best practice when calculating the 3 year crime free period is to calculate looking backwards from when you file your petition to restore your gun rights or when you intend to file your petition.

Restoring your firearm rights can be very challenging and the laws are constantly changing. It’s always best to speak with an experienced gun rights attorney before attempting restore your rights or attempting to purchase a firearm.

Being injured in an accident can damage much more than just your body, it can impact your whole life. Not only do you have to deal with the daily pain and injuries, but you are also stuck balancing doctor visits, physical therapy, chiropractic sessions, and all while trying to juggle family and work. Add in the stress of dealing with insurance companies that just don’t seem to care and it’s easy to get frustrated, anxious, and stressed out.

That’s why South Sound Law Group always puts you, the client, first. The goal of our law firm and our personal injury lawyers is to be a helpful and compassionate partner on your difficult journey. From the moment we are hired as legal representation, we immediately contact the insurance companies so that they stop harassing you, we start building your case by gathering the important documents and evidence before they are lost, we walk you through the process and can even help you find the right doctors and medical professionals.

We believe in the importance of providing all of our clients with dedicated and compassionate legal care. But rarely is the need for such care more evident than when a client is wounded, frightened, and traumatized by what they’ve recently been through. You did not deserve these injuries or the accident which caused them. So, rest assured that, if you hire the services of a personal injury attorney at our firm, we will do everything within our legal power to help you get the compensation and assistance that you deserve.

It is our hope that we can help accident victims obtain just compensation to help pay for the physical and psychological effects of their personal injuries. If you’d like to learn more about our legal services, please contact our law offices to schedule a free case evaluation with our personal injury attorneys.

If you’ve suffered injuries in a serious accident or act of negligence, you may be on the hook for a long recovery period, costly medical bills, and maybe, potentially, could face legal action from the other party for the physical injuries that they suffered if they see reason to put the blame on your shoulders. While we want to hope that the insurance company we pay money into or the courts which we trust to separate the right from the wrong will have our backs during such a case, these are potentially costly risks. In order to better ensure that your interests are looked after, it is wise to hire the legal representation of a personal injury lawyer with experience trying serious injury cases.

Whether or not you wish to file a personal injury claim against the other party for injuries suffered, having attorneys by your side can assist you in all the unexpected twists that may develop in your case. Additionally, having a personal injury attorney on your case may assist you in any future settlement negotiations as you hope to receive monetary compensation for injuries suffered.

The other party involved in the accident may have dedicated attorneys of their own who do not wish to budge an inch when it comes to settlement agreements. If your case makes it to court, you want experienced trial lawyers representing you, or else the justice system may very well eat you for breakfast.

Payouts from insurance companies can definitely help you if you’ve been the victim of an accident which results in personal injury. However, often these payouts are far less than what we need in order to contend with mounting stacks of medical bills, lost income from being out of work with the injuries, and any pain and suffering caused.

It is not right that you, an accident victim, should have to worry about lost wages and costly medical care because of the mental and physical injuries which you’ve suffered through no fault of your own.

If you hire the legal services of South Sound Law Group, you will be represented by experienced personal injury attorneys who are familiar with Washington State’s complex legal system and injury laws.

With fair financial compensation, you won’t have to worry about the cost of medical care, therapy, rehab, or lost wages. You will be allowed to heal and get back to some kind of normalcy in your own time, without fear of your finances crumbling apart all around you. Our attorneys and staff will work tirelessly to find all the evidence to prove the other party’s negligence caused your injuries. Often, the more serious the injuries and negligence of the other party, the larger settlement we will request for you, including punitive damages.

Accident victims putting together an injury claim tend to believe that they have a no-doubt win on their hands. However, the smart course of action is to hire representation of an experienced personal injury lawyer. With the help of a lawyer, you may be better suited to pursue compensation and hold the right people accountable for the pain and suffering they have caused.

To speak with our personal injury lawyers about how to proceed with your injury claims, please contact our law firm to schedule a free consultation.

There is a right way and a wrong way to handle a personal injury case in Washington. The wrong way is to rush you through the process so that the attorney can settle the case and get paid. The right way, the South Sound Law Group way, takes time. In order to be made whole and be fully compensated for all of your pain and suffering, missed work, lost income, and emotional anguish you have to live through, having someone complete treatment or receive a final diagnosis from a medical professional is critical.

If you want your case handled the right way, then the attorney you pick to handle your injury case is going to be in your life for a while. So, make sure you get someone that you can trust, an attorney that you can openly communicate with, and a law firm that you believe will fight for your best interests and legal rights. We hope that choice will be us, because we wake up every day excited to help our clients through a difficult and emotional time of their life. Hopefully you never need our services, but if you do, we’re here to help you through the complications of injury law.

If you have any questions about your situation or the overall process for holding the negligent party responsible for financial compensation, or if you would like to speak with a member of our friendly legal team, to schedule a no-risk complimentary consultation with an experienced Tacoma personal injury lawyer, please call us at 253-383-3328.

Even the safest drivers may one day find themselves in a car accident. Though these are fairly common events and automobile safety has made great strides in recent decades, that does not lessen the fact they can be terrifying, violent, and costly. While we want to hope that everyone we share the roads with has proper car insurance, that is simply not the case. So when there is extensive property damage or serious injuries, medical expenses can be costly and you may need to explore legal options with the help of experienced car accident lawyers familiar with Washington state laws.

If you’ve been in a car accident and want to hire legal representatives, please consider sharing your questions and concerns with a car accident attorney at South Sound Law Group. The legal team at our law firm has years of experience representing the legal rights of personal injury victims, motor vehicle accident survivors, and helping families with wrongful death cases.

Our law practice will work with the insurance companies to get you the proper medical aid all the while gathering evidence to prove fault for the crash in an attempt to help you recover fair compensation. For formal legal advice of how to proceed with your auto accident claim, please schedule a free initial consultation with a car accident attorney at our Tacoma, WA firm today.

The car accident lawyers of South Sound Law Group represent all order of motor vehicle accidents, from rear-end collisions with minor injuries to highway pileups that result in severe injuries and death.

No car accidents are too small or too big for our law firm to represent.

We have provided legal services to clients involved in car crash matters such as:

• Auto insurance companies that refuse to provide the proper compensation to pay for medical expenses.
• DUI and driving under the influence.
• Lost wages, if you missed work following the car accident.
• Medical bills that should rightly be paid by the at-fault driver or their insurance company.
• Motorcycle accident.
• Settlement negotiations following a car accident, particularly in cases of personal injury law litigation and settlement disputes.
• Traumatic brain injuries and other severe injuries that leave the driver or their passengers incapacitated.
• We will seek higher settlement offers for lasting injuries, emotional distress, and pain and suffering following car accidents.

There is no #1 cause for car accidents. Even those who drive safe and obey all the rules of the road can still end up in frightening and horrific motor vehicle accidents.

In Washington, there are approximately 100,000 car accidents each year. Of those motor vehicle accidents, an average of about 500 people die in those accidents each year, while thousands more suffer severe and lasting injuries. The stats show that while car accident numbers are trending downwards in recent years, the rate of fatalities is on the rise.

Common causes for car accidents across the state of Washington include:

• Driver negligence, such as distracted driving, driving while making phone calls,
• Driving under the influence of drugs.
• Drowsy driving and falling asleep at the wheel.
• Drunk driving.
• Poor driving conditions and poor road maintenance.
• Poor road signage.
• Rear-end collisions, caused by distracted driving and negligence.
• Running a red light or stop sign, which often result in T-Bone collisions or head-on car crashes.
• Speeding and aggressive driving.
• Traffic law violations and negligence.
• Vehicle malfunction and poor mechanical maintenance.

If the other driver is at-fault for a car accident resulting in personal injury, whether because of drowsy driving, drunk driving, or plain and simple negligence, an attorney at our law office will help you with your claim so that you receive a fair settlement.

If the other driver is contentious and disputes who was at fault for the accident or the reasonableness of the injury claim, our attorneys may pursue an injury lawsuit in an attempt to get our clients the settlements they deserve.

While it is true that you are not required to hire the services of a car accident attorney in Washington, doing so will greatly assist you in the settlement negotiation process and ensure that your legal rights are properly looked after throughout the case. In fact, reaching out to an experienced injury attorney should be one of your first acts following the unfortunate event of a car accident.

If you’re ever in a car accident, the first thing you should do is assess whether you have sustained a serious injury. If you are in need of help, please seek medical aid as soon as possible. If you are able, you should check other drivers and passengers for injuries. Then, exchange all relevant insurance company information with the other driver. Do not apologize to the other motorist and do not work with them to reconstruct what happened. Instead, call the police. While waiting for the police to arrive, speak to any witnesses and get their stories and their contact information. Once law enforcement arrives, fill out your written statement then call. South Sound Law Group to speak with one of our car accident lawyers or experienced staff about what to do next. It would be best if your car accident lawyer spoke to the auto insurance companies for you.

As your legal representative, a car accident lawyer of South Sound Law Group will help you pursue financial compensation. Our lawyers operate injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that if we do not collect a settlement for you then you do not owe us a dime in legal fees.

Every driver in Washington is required to keep a minimal level of car insurance. It is natural to think that your insurance policy is there to protect you and your interests for exactly this sort of situation. However, you must remember that insurance companies are always looking to protect their interests first and foremost, which means saving money. If they can find a way to save money on your injury and car accident payout, they will do so. Additionally, it’s possible that the other driver(s) may not have even had car insurance, which complicates things even more.

With an experienced car accident lawyer in your corner, you know that your interests will be looked after. If you retain us as legal counsel, we will be your representation, and do everything within our legal powers to protect your rights, pursue fair financial compensation, get the insurance companies to do what is needed of them, and even file a lawsuit for damages if the claim calls for it.

If you’ve been in a car accident, hopefully you’ve just walked away from one of the scariest events of your life. But, we’re sorry to say, the challenges are not likely to end there. You may miss work, which could lead to lost income. You may have a lasting physical, emotional, or mental injury, which may require hospitalization, therapy, and rehabilitation. These necessary features of recovery do not come free. Medical bills may become very costly very quickly. And with those lost wages, those medical expenses only look all the more daunting and impossible to address.

You should not be asked to tackle all of these issues, especially not on your own. You should be allowed to heal from your wounds following a traffic accident. As your car accident lawyers, we will represent you as we attempt to address your vital needs following the crash, including speaking with insurance companies, determining who was at-fault for the accident, and seeing that medical bills are paid so that you receive the care you require.

Our firm takes injury cases for car accident victims on a contingency fee basis — if you don’t recover compensation, then you do not owe us anything in legal fees. So, you may truly consider the option to schedule a free consultation with our law offices to be a risk-free opportunity.

Schedule a confidential and free case evaluation where we will go over your auto accident claim and help you determine how to proceed with your accident and injury case. Our law offices are based in Tacoma, but we serve clients in need all across western Washington and we would be proud to provide that same legal service to you.

To schedule your free consultation with a car accident lawyer at our firm, please call us at: 253-383-3328.

All motor vehicle accidents are scary and have the potential to cause life-threatening injuries. But motorcycle accidents are even worse, in that the riders are more prone to serious injuries or death, the insurance companies tend to offer little to motorcyclists, and the jury sometimes takes a bias against riders of motorcycles, viewing the cyclists as adrenaline junkies and unnecessary risk takers.

For this reason, it is especially important that motorcyclists hire attorneys who respect their client’s decisions and legal rights, both in terms of personal injury claims and in terms of their chosen mode of motor vehicle transportation. A motorcyclist is not a criminal or a felon and they should be afforded all the same considerations that other motorists receive on the road and in the courtrooms.

At South Sound Law Group, our personal injury and accident attorneys are well-versed in the laws and biases which concern motorcycle accidents. If you’ve been injured in an accident, you likely needed to receive emergency medical care, and we know that kind of aid does not come cheap. If the other driver was at-fault for the accident, or if poor maintenance and road hazards led to the crash, then your lawyer will make it their mission to see to it that the responsible parties are held liable.

With the help of a lawyer from our law firm, it is possible that your accident claim may result in you receiving compensation that can pay off any medical expenses, so that you will be allowed to recover without worry for how to handle the bills.

Please contact South Sound Law Group to schedule a free consultation.

A collision between a car and a motorcycle may be frightening and dangerous for both motorists. However, the driver of the car has a seat belt, an airbag, safety glass, and a chassis which was built to withstand crashes and roll overs. The motorcyclist, by comparison, only has their helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, hopefully a leather jacket, and their training to help them prepare for what to do in case of a collision.

Motorcyclists are in a far more precarious position and could potentially be badly hurt or even killed in a crash.

Common injuries in a motorcycle accident include:

• Broken bones are common for motorcyclists who crash or wipe out.
• Burns, cuts, and lacerations, sometimes causing disfigurement.
• Complete or partial paralysis, typically caused by damage to the spine.
• Concussions.
• Dental injury.
• Emotional trauma resulting from a crash, sometimes causing anxiety, depression, a change in personality, and loss of quality of life.
• Internal bleeding and damage to internal organs.
• Muscle damage.
• Road rash (this is why you see a lot of riders wearing leather, as it protects the flesh from the blacktop at least a little).
• Severed limbs. Sometimes the limbs are severed during the accident, other times they must be amputated to save the person.
• Traumatic brain injuries and death, which may leave the rider in a coma or otherwise incapacitated.

Both your emotional and your physical pain and suffering matter. Your lawyer will attempt to determine who was at-fault for the motorcycle accident by examining evidence, so that they may build a case which results in you receiving the maximum settlement for your claim. If the other driver or at-fault parties dispute the charges of your claim, your lawyer may pursue compensation for damages by filing a lawsuit and taking the case to trial.

For more information, please schedule a free consultation 253-383-3328.

In recent years, Washington State has seen a gradual uptick in the number of crashes which resulted in serious bodily harm and fatalities for motorcyclists. There are, on average, about 70 motorcyclists killed every year on the roads in Washington. One in every five crashes results in a fatality.

Though the most common cause for a motorcycle accident both in Washington and across the United States as a whole is speeding, that is by no means the only frequently seen cause for a collision or crash.

Common causes for a motorcycle accident include:

• Driver negligence, distracted driving, and drowsy driving.
• Drunk driving or driving under the influence of drugs.
• Manufacturer defects and vehicle disrepair.
• Missing or damaged traffic signage.
• Road hazards like potholes, road construction, missing guardrails, and debris.
• Weather conditions making for unsafe driving conditions.

Many drivers on the road claim not to have seen the motorcycle that they hit. Either they drifted into the motorcycle’s lane while the motorcyclist was in their blind spot or the other driver was moving at an unsafe speed. Although it is true that a motorcycle is smaller than other vehicles on the road, in 2022 other drivers need to understand that they share the streets with vehicles of all shapes and sizes.

The plain simple fact is that your motorcycle accident likely could have and should have been avoidable but for the negligence of the other driver. Schedule a free consultation with our firm to better understand the process of pursuing your legal case.

While we would like to think that our insurance company has our best interests at heart, that is often simply not the case. While you receive medical care to help you recover, your insurance company is looking for ways that they can save money. Similarly, while we want to hope that our employers have our back when we’re out with an injury following an accident, often they are already looking to replace us. And while we may want to hope that another driver or someone at fault for the motorcycle accident will accept their rightful blame, chances are they may want to help but won’t do so unless they are forced to.

You want a lawyer to help you with your case.

The attorneys of South Sound Law Group will work with the insurance companies to try to get them to pay the proper amount for any damages you’ve received. We will also strive to ensure that you are provided compensation for any lost wages while you were out of work. If road hazards or debris caused the motorcycle accident, then we will file a lawsuit that seeks to hold those responsible for the hazards accountable in a legal trial.

Our attorneys will review the scene of the incident to better determine who was at fault and build a case that will make them responsible for your medical care.

Schedule a free consultation today.

Motorcyclists who’ve been injured have the legal right to seek a settlement for the pain they’ve endured. At South Sound Law Group, our attorneys will help you through the process, from the initial claim all the way to a courtroom trial if need be.

For more information, please schedule a free case evaluation today by calling us at: 253-383-3328