If you were arrested for DUI in the city of Bellevue by a Bellevue Police Officer, your case will be filed in the King County District Court, Bellevue Courthouse. The filing of your DUI in Bellevue means that the prosecutors working on your case will be from the Bellevue City Attorney’s office and the judges will be elected King County District Court Judges. If you were arrested in Bellevue by either the Washington State Patrol or King County Sheriff, your case will be filed in the King County Prosecutor in the King County District Court system. See King County DUI information for arrest made by those agencies in Bellevue.
For help with a Bellevue DUI or for more information, contact a Bellevue DUI attorney as soon after your arrest as possible. At Milios Defense, our attorneys are available for consultation regarding your matter and to answer any questions that you may have.
Bellevue DUI Filing Procedure
After you have been arrested and processed for DUI, the arresting officer will draft his report and forward it to the Bellevue City Attorney’s office for filing. The City attorney, after review the report will draft and file a complaint with the court. The court will then send out notification of your first court date, known as an arraignment. This process can take as little as three weeks or as long as two to three months. The length of time between the Bellevue DUI arrest and arraignment is a factor of the seriousness of the charge and how busy the city attorney is at the time.
All City of Bellevue DUI charges are currently filed into the Bellevue Division of the King County District Court System. In order to do this, the City pays a substantial fee to King County to rent this space and the use of its judges and court staff. This makes the city of Bellevue the largest municipality in the state not to have it’s own dedicated court house and elected municipal court judge. As a result, virtually all cases filed into this court house are City of Bellevue cases. Without Bellevue as a tenant, King County would lose thousands of dollars and have yet another district court house that serves relatively little purpose county wide.
Bellevue DUI Court Process
The court procedure followed in Bellevue DUI cases is similar to that in the other King County District Courts. The case begins with an arraignment at which time a plea is entered and the judge determines what conditions should be imposed on the defendant while the case is pending. First time DUI defendants are usually released on their own recognizance with a promise to appear, maintain law abiding behavior, and abstinence from alcohol. Those with prior DUI history could be facing the imposition of bail, and/or orders to install an ignition interlock device or wear a SCRAM bracelet. At this time a status conference known as a pretrial hearing is set for about 30-45 days after the arraignment.
At pretrial, the case may be resolved, continued or set for motions and trial, depending on the posture of the case, the results of early negotiation and the desires of the court. While it is always a good idea to have representation by the time of arraignment, it is crucial to was a Bellevue DUI attorney in place well in advance of the pretrial hearing.
Bellevue DUI Prosecutor
The city of Bellevue is represented by very experienced and knowledgeable attorneys. They have strict DUI negotiation standards and are not generally swayed by emotional pitches. They are tough and consistent but not necessarily unfair. The fact that they are so knowledgeable is a plus in so far as they are quick to recognize legal deficiencies in their cases when they arise.
Bellevue Probation Department
The city of Bellevue employs a very active and involved DUI probation department. If one is placed on probation in Bellevue, be sure to follow all imposed conditions in a timely manner and maintain contact with your probation officer as directed. Reviews are scheduled in Bellevue for even minor probation transgressions. They best way to avoid issues with probation in this court is to avoid active probation itself. Be proactive in completing likely conditions before they are imposed. If there are no conditions to monitor, probation, whether for a DUI or lesser conviction, is not likely to be imposed. For advice on how to do this, review our Washington DUI Self Help Guide.
