Q: Find out if prosecution decisions are pending in a Vehicle Assault DUI case from 2003 in WA.
My friend was involved in a head-on car accident in August 2003 and was charged with a DUI, which later changed to Vehicle Assault DUI at the hospital. The case went under investigation, and we were waiting for blood sample results from the state, which took over a year. Despite the case supposedly being sent to the prosecutor's office, no charges or court dates have been set. Efforts to get information from the county clerk's office and the prosecutor's office have been unsuccessful. Is there any way to find out if the prosecutor's office has made or is pending any decisions soon?
A:
2003? Or 2023?
I would have a lawyer handle it if I were the friend. You want them to be able to investigate and find out where the case is, but not in any kind of way that might make his situation worse. It's certainly possible that sample is still at the lab for testing, or that the results have been sent to the law enforcement agency or the prosecutor's office. The state probably has plenty of time left to investigate and make a charging decision.
But I would recommend letting a lawyer make those calls, just to make sure nothing is said or shared that could damage his situation.
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