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Stopped for DUI?

Facing a DUI charge in Washington State?  We can help you!  We are experienced DUI defense attorneys and represent clients accused of DUI day in and day out, every day, every year. We have been doing it, collectively, for over three decades. We are passionate about our work and will be doing it for years to come.

We have helped hundreds of people who are in a similar situation to you fight their charges. We have had great results, with many people having their Seattle DUI or Washington DUI cases dismissed, reduced to a lesser charge, or found not guilty after a trial.

We understand after an arrest for a Washington State DUI, many people have feelings of despair, hopelessness, and even anger.  We are here to tell you that there is hope that your charge will be successfully resolved and even more importantly, that you will make it through this period.

Now you know that we represent people accused of Seattle DUIs or Washington State DUIs. Here is how we do it.

1. Free Initial Consultation:
We meet with you in our Seattle office, for free and for as long as it takes. We like to do this DUI consultation in person (not over the phone) because this is the best way to hear about your case and give you legal advice. There is simply no substitute for a face to face meeting.

At that meeting we:

• Review the facts of what happened the night you were stopped for your Washington State DUI or DWI;
• Identify potential issues that may make it difficult for the government to prosecute you on your Washington State DUI;
• Describe the Washington State DUI law, as well as, the WA State DUI procedure that you will be facing over the next few months;
• Outline different options you may have in your Washington DUI case; and,
• Provide you with a "game plan" in the form of a list of things to do to help you resolve your Washington or Seattle DUI charges in the best possible manner.

2. Our Job:
If you decide that one of us is a good fit to work with you on your Washington DUI (it is your choice who you work with and promise not to hard sell you, we only want to work with people who want to work with us) then we will we begin representing you in your Washington State DUI charges. We represent people all over the state on DUI Charges, but most often in Seattle and King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties.

Representation includes:

• Attending all court hearings with you, including your Department of Licensing Hearing [6];
• Answering all your phone calls, emails and questions within 1 day (usually immediately);
• Investigating your case;
• Advising you of your options for your Washington DUI charges and giving you our opinion of what you should do;
• Reviewing the DUI arrest report with you;
• Aggressively fighting your case – this means negotiating with the prosecutor, filing legal motions, representing you in court; and doing whatever it takes to get you the best deal possible for your DUI charge.  (Please note, if you want fist pounding, shouting and screaming lawyers, we are not for you – that is not our style.  We have found that we get the best results by being ourselves - civilized, honest and hardworking, not by grandstanding).
• Being there to “hold your hand” throughout the entire DUI process – beginning to end, in court, in the office, and over the phone.

3. Commitment:
We strive to be a firm of integrity.

Here are our goals:

• Honesty
• Direct and no-nonsense
• Hard-working
• Organized
• Professional
• Excellent at what we do
• Provide top-notch customer service
• Respected by judges, prosecutors and other lawyers.

Based upon feedback from our clients [7], it appears that we are living up to these goals and are committed to doing so in the future.

4. Who We Are:
We feel fortunate that other people have recognized us for being good at what we do.  Here is some information about our backgrounds and accomplishments:

- Geoffrey Burg

• “Super Lawyer” recipient by peers in Washington Law & Politics Magazine.
• "Superb Layer" and 10 out of 10 rating on Avvo.
• Speaker and chair of seminars regarding DUI defense.
• Writer of numerous articles [8].
• In July 2002, I discovered a problem with the breath-testing machine - the "caretakers" (Washington State Patrol Breath Test Technicians) of the machine were not following all the rules for calibrating it. I successfully litigated this issue and was able to suppress thousands of breath tests around the state. As reported on the front page of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer [9], and other periodicals around Washington State, this meant that for my clients, as well as other people who fell under the time period when the instrument was not being properly calibrated, if the breath test showed a reading above a .08 BAC, then it would be kept out of evidence and no judge or jury would ever learn of the result if the DUI went to trial.
• Legislative Liaison for the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.  In this role I wrote, lobbied for and passed three laws that help people accused Washington State DUI.
• Graduate of Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College [10].  Mr. Spence is one of the best known trial attorneys in the world and he chooses 48 people a year to come live with him on his ranch in Wyoming for 21 days to train as a trial lawyer.  I was fortunate enough to have been chosen to attend this program and completed it in 2001.
• Member of the only two Washington State DUI organizations that you must be voted into – the Washington Foundation for Criminal Justice and the Northwest Academy of DUI Defense.  Combined, these two organizations have under 25 members of people considered of the highest caliber of representing those accused of Washington State DUIs.
• Most importantly, I have had great success in helping people accused of DUI.  I pride myself (and gauge how well I am doing) by the number of thank you notes and emails [7] I receive from my clients.  I feel proud in saying that I regularly receive these.

- Patricia Fulton

• I devote my practice to defending clients accused of crimes, especially DUIs. I am very proud of the reputation as a thoughtful and articulate advocate I have earned while defending people accused of DUI in Washington. 
• Consistently named a “Rising Star” by Washington Law and Politics Magazine.
• Member of the Washington Foundation for Criminal Justice - a Washington State DUI defense organization with exclusive, by invitation only, membership.
• Member, and past President of the Northwest Academy of DUI Defense – a Washington State DUI defense organization with exclusive, by invitation only, membership. 
• Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyer Legislative Committee representative where I have worked to advocate on behalf of drivers accused of impaired driving related crimes.  This includes participation in an impaired driving working group made up of legislators, prosecutors, law enforcement and other government representatives and testifying before the legislation regarding proposed laws that would impact drivers accused of DUI. 
• Graduate of Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College.  An exclusive 3 week trial training program at Gerry Spence's ranch in Wyoming.
• Board of Director Member and Spokesperson for the Citizens for Judicial Excellence.  A political action committee dedicated to increasing the quality of judges in District and Municipal courts throughout the area.   
• Speaker/Presenter at DUI related seminars [11] where I instruct other lawyers on issues of DUI representation.
• Author of articles regarding DUI Defense.
• Membership of numerous criminal defense and trial organizations, including the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
• Admitted Washington State Bar and Federal District Court, Western Washington Division.
• University of Washington School of Law, J.D. 1999.

- Tammy LaLanne:

As our paralegal, Tammy keeps us organized and on time.  She is the person who greets you on the phone and helps with many of the details of your case.  While we try and speak to you in person when you call, if we are in court, Tammy is the one that will make sure your questions are answered.

• Graduated from Paralegal School.
• Working with attorney’s since 1989.

5. What You Can Do Now:
We have designed this web site to try and answer every Washington DUI or Seattle DUI question that you may have.

We did this because we know that knowledge is power and we wanted to give you back some of the power that you may feel you have lost from your arrest.

We would like the opportunity to meet with you and discuss your Washington DUI related case.

Please give us a call or email us so that we can begin to help you resolve your case.

1. Free Initial Consultation: We meet with you in our Seattle office, for free and for as long as it takes. We like to do this DUI consultation in person (not over the phone) because this is the best way to hear about your case and give you legal advice. There is simply no substitute for a face to face meeting. At that meeting we:

• Review the facts of what happened the night you were stopped for your Washington State DUI or DWI; • Identify potential issues that may make it difficult for the government to prosecute you on your Washington State DUI; • Describe the Washington State DUI law [12], as well as, the WA State DUI procedure that you will be facing over the next few months; • Outline different options you may have in your Washington DUI case; and, • Provide you with a "game plan" in the form of a list of things to do to help you resolve your Washington or Seattle DUI charges in the best possible manner.

2. Our Job: If you decide that one of us is a good fit to work with you on your Washington DUI (it is your choice who you work with and promise not to hard sell you, we only want to work with people who want to work with us) then we will we begin representing you in your Washington State DUI charges. We represent people all over the state on DUI Charges, but most often in Seattle and King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties [13]. Representation includes:

• Attending all court hearings with you, including your Department of Licensing Hearing [14]; • Answering all your phone calls, emails and questions within 1 day (usually immediately); • Investigating your case; • Advising you of your options for your Washington DUI charges and giving you our opinion of what you should do; • Reviewing the DUI arrest report with you; • Aggressively fighting your case – this means negotiating with the prosecutor, filing legal motions, representing you in court; and doing whatever it takes to get you the best deal possible for your DUI charge.  (Please note, if you want fist pounding, shouting and screaming lawyers, we are not for you – that is not our style.  We have found that we get the best results by being ourselves - civilized, honest and hardworking, not by grandstanding). • Being there to “hold your hand” throughout the entire DUI process – beginning to end, in court, in the office, and over the phone.

3. Commitment: We strive to be a firm of integrity. Here are our goals:

• Honesty • Direct and no-nonsense • Hard-working • Organized • Professional • Excellent at what we do • Provide top-notch customer service • Respected by judges, prosecutors and other lawyers. Based upon feedback from our clients [15], it appears that we are living up to these goals and are committed to doing so in the future.

4. Who We Are: We both feel fortunate that other people have recognized us for being good at what we do.  Here is some information about our backgrounds and accomplishments: - Geoffrey Burg

• “Super Lawyer” recipient by peers in Washington Law & Politics Magazine. • Speaker and chair of seminars regarding DUI defense. • Writer of numerous articles [8]. • In July 2002, I discovered a problem with the breath-testing machine - the "caretakers" (Washington State Patrol Breath Test Technicians [16]) of the machine were not following all the rules for calibrating it. I successfully litigated this issue and was able to suppress thousands of breath tests around the state. As reported on the front page of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer [17], and other periodicals around Washington State, this meant that for my clients, as well as other people who fell under the time period when the instrument was not being properly calibrated, if the breath test showed a reading above a .08 BAC, then it would be kept out of evidence and no judge or jury would ever learn of the result if the DUI went to trial.

• Legislative Liaison for the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.  In this role I wrote, lobbied for and passed three laws that help people accused Washington State DUI.(Photo: Geoffrey Burg, present for the signing of HB 1589.)

• Graduate of Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College.  Mr. Spence is one of the best known trial attorneys in the world and he chooses 48 people a year to come live with him on his ranch in Wyoming for 21 days to train as a trial lawyer.  I was fortunate enough to have been chosen to attend this program and completed it in 2001.

Photo: Geoffrey Burg with Governor Gregoire.

• Member of the only two Washington State DUI organizations that you must be voted into – the Washington Foundation for Criminal Justice and the Northwest Academy of DUI Defense.  Combined, these two organizations have under 25 members of people considered of the highest caliber of representing those accused of Washington State DUIs. Most importantly, I have had great success in helping people accused of DUI.  My rate of having people found not guilty at trial is higher than the state average.  In addition, I pride myself (and gauge how well I am doing) by the number of thank you notes I receive from my clients [15].  I feel proud in saying that I regularly receive these.

- Patricia Fulton

• I devote my practice to defending clients accused of crimes, especially DUIs. I am very proud of the reputation as a thoughtful and articulate advocate I have earned while defending people accused of DUI in Washington.   • Named a “Rising Star” by Washington Law and Politics Magazine. • Member, and past President of the Northwest Academy of DUI Defense – a Washington State DUI Defense organization with exclusive, by invitation only, membership.  • Speaker/Presenter at DUI related seminars [11]. • Author of articles regarding DUI Defense. [8] • Membership of numerous criminal defense and trial organizations, including the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. • Member of the King County Bar Association and member of the King County Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral Oversight Committee. • Admitted Washington State Bar and Federal District Court, Western Washington Division.

- Aaron Kiviat:    • Aaron devotes his practice to representing clients accused of crimes and has been practicing criminal law since 2003. • Admitted in Washington State 2007 • Admitted in New York State 2003 • The Benjamin Cardozo School of Law, J.D. • The Evergreen State College, B.A. • Mercer Island High School

- Tammy LaLanne: As our paralegal, Tammy keeps us organized and on time.  She is the person who greets you on the phone and helps with many of the details of your case.  While we try and speak to you in person when you call, if we are in court, Tammy is the one that will make sure your questions are answered.

• Graduated from Paralegal School • Working with attorney’s since 1989.

5. What You Can Do Now: We have designed this web site to try and answer every Washington DUI or Seattle DUI question [18] that you may have. We did this because we know that knowledge is power and we wanted to give you back some of the power that you may feel you have lost from your arrest. We would like the opportunity to meet with you and discuss your Washington DUI related case. Please give us a call or email us so that we can begin to help you resolve your case.