Reckless Endangerment is defined as acting recklessly and creating the substantial risk of serious bodily injury or death. The crime of Reckless Endangerment, in Washington, is not in and of itself a driving offense. Very rarely is it charged initially based on driving behavior alone.
Reckless Endangerment and DUI
It is not uncommon for someone who has been arrested for a DUI in Washington to be charged with Reckless Endangerment as well. Therefore, a Reckless Endangerment charge usually comes about in one of two ways:
- Companion Charge to DUI
- Reduction from DUI
Companion Charge to DUI
A companion charge to a DUI occurs when the driver has children in the car at the time of their arrest. The obvious concern here is that the judges and prosecuting attorneys involved in such a case will treat DUIs where there are children in the car much more severely. If this situation applies in your case, do not delay in contacting a Washington DUI attorney.
Reduction from DUI
The second condition is a reduction from the original charge of DUI. The advantage of such a reduction is that, unlike Reckless Driving, a conviction for Reckless Endangerment will not result in a suspension of driving privileges. It might, however, still count as a prior DUI offense in case there is a subsequent DUI charge.
Contact a Reckless Endangerment Defense Attorney
To discover more about Reckless Endangerment, or to find out if a reduction of your Washington DUI charge to this offense makes sense, contact one of our Reckless Endangerment lawyers for more information.
