Seattle, WA asked in Criminal Law and Traffic Tickets for Washington

Q: Can a public defender reduce or drop DWLS 3rd degree charge after license reinstatement?

I have an arraignment for a DWLS 3rd degree in a few days, but I've since paid the unpaid ticket that led to my suspension, and my license was reinstated on March 27th, 2025. The original ticket was issued on July 6th, 2024, three hours before my flight for a two-week vacation. I didn't receive the suspension notice because it was sent to a former address. Shortly after returning to Seattle, my vehicle was totaled. I have one previous traffic ticket from 2022. Given these circumstances, can a public defender help get my charge reduced to an infraction or possibly dropped?

Related Topics:

Justia Ask A Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get free answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask A Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between Justia and you, or between any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions and you, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask A Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.