William Appleby Jr. faces potential felony DUI charges after his most recent drunk driving arrest.

The 35-year-old Lacey man has five driving while intoxicated arrests on his record in the past ten years. He has been convicted twice and pleaded three other DUI citations down to either negligent driving or reckless driving charges, reports The Olympian.

Pursuant to Washington DUI laws, Appleby could now face felony DUI charges as someone with four or more prior offenses in the past ten years. (RCW 46.61.5055)

Since Appleby technically only has two DUI convictions to his name, you may be wondering why he faces possible felony charges as someone with four or more prior DUI convictions?

The Thurston County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney explained that even though Appleby only has two prior convictions for DUIs, his three misdemeanor DUI charges that he pleaded down to reckless or negligent driving can still count as a prior DUI offense when determining penalties for a subsequent DUI.

So basically all five prior DUI offenses will count against Appleby when determining what penalties he faces for his most recent arrest. With four or more prior DUIs, Appleby could face a class C felony charge and up to five years in jail.

The penalties for a repeat drunk driver can be much more severe than for a first-time DUI defendant under Washington law. And after four prior arrests, you could now face felony charges.

If you have been arrested for a drunk driving offense in the Seattle or King County areas, you should talk to a lawyer to learn about the penalties you face. Your lawyer can help explain your options and possible defenses. Contact the DUI lawyers at Wolff Criminal Defense at 425-284-2000 and don't fight your fight alone.