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When you have been pulled over and are suspected of drunk driving, you could be asked to provide a breath sample. Misconceptions exist about what your rights are and what these types of tests are. Misunderstandings can lead to more problems, especially if you are facing DUI charges in Cle Elum A...

Understanding Your Constitutional Right to a Speedy Trial in Cle Elum The 6th Amendment to the United States Constitution holds that “(i)n all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial.” It also holds that: The jury shall be an impartial jury of the...

What is a pretrial hearing in Cle Elum? A pretrial hearing is a meeting between the parties to discuss how a case will proceed and to resolve any preliminary issues before a trial starts. Pretrial hearings involve the prosecution, defense, and judge. They are not heard before a jury.  Pretrial ...

When a person is arrested in Ellensburg, they have a right to know what the charges are against them. They also have a right to plead guilty or not guilty. This all happens at an arraignment. It can be a particularly nerve-wrecking time for anyone, even those who have been charged with criminal a...

Have you been investigated for, charged with, or found guilty of drunk driving in Ellensburg? As a consequence, you may have been ordered to install an ignition interlock device (IID) in your vehicle. This can be the result of either an administrative hearing or criminal conviction related to a d...

DOL has several ways to suspend someones license.  View them here. Starting January 2023, they have a new way.  It is similar to the Too Many Tickets suspension, but with several key differences.  See DOLs information here.  While the Continuing Offenses (CO) suspension requires 6 moving violat...

What you think is just an argument can turn into something much more. Who knows what happened? A neighbor may hear raised voices and call the police. The police arrive and decide an argument ensued and so someone must be arrested for domestic violence. Domestic violence in Cle Elum carries seriou...

Have you been investigated for, charged with, or found guilty of drunk driving in Cle Elum? As a consequence, you may have been ordered to install an ignition interlock device (IID) in your vehicle. This can be the result of either an administrative hearing or criminal conviction related to a dru...

What is bail in Yakima? Bail is a sum of money a defendant pays to be released from custody and remain in the community while their criminal matter is finalized. It is a form of pretrial release.  Bail acts as a deposit to ensure a defendant attends their court hearings. A defendant posts bail ...

Traffic offenses in Yakima add up, and not just in terms of the financial impact. Each traffic violation adds to your driver's record, and that can lead to driver's license suspension among other consequences. Plus, some traffic violations are criminal offenses. If you ignore or do not fight traf...

What you think is just an argument can turn into something much more. Who knows what happened? A neighbor may hear raised voices and call the police. The police arrive and decide an argument ensued and so someone must be arrested for domestic violence. Domestic violence in Washington carries seri...

When you have been pulled over and are suspected of drunk driving, you could be asked to provide a breath sample. Misconceptions exist about what your rights are and what these types of tests are. Misunderstandings can lead to more problems, especially if you are facing DUI charges in Washington ...

Imagine a United States of America where police hold all the power, and citizens have no power. That world, for some, may not be so unimaginable. If you have found yourself on the other side of police officers in Cle Elum, you know you can appreciate that there are laws in this country meant to p...

Driving while intoxicated (DWI), operating a vehicle under the influence (OVI), or driving under the influence (DUI) are all ways to describe the same thing: intoxicated driving. Intoxication may be the result of alcohol or another chemical substance (e.g., marijuana) or both. To be a criminal of...

Each year we deal with significant fire danger in Eastern and Central Washington.  This year is no exception.  With the late spring rains, the grasses have grown thicker and taller than normal.  Now that it is hot and dry, we have a high chance of fires.  While we are all aware that cigarettes an...

WSP is planning additional patrols for the next month while they expect more traffic for for students moving and returning to WSU.  They will be watching for speeding and cellphone use while driving.  The speeding limit is 70 MPH for most of the trip to WSU, but remember that if there is a traile...

It was a very busy weekend on I90 with Watershed traffic.  Not only was there a lot of people headed east for the normal weekend fun, but the music festival brought a lot of others to the road.  There were a lot of law enforcement officers on the road writing tickets and enforcing the rules of th...

Each court is handling the pandemic in their own way.  Some courts are continuing on as if nothing has changed.  Other courts are delayed by months and struggling with the issues that Covid has left us with.  In general, we see that courts are nearly back to normal, with the exception of the fo...