If you have been charged with drunk driving, you will have an opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty to the crime. Prior to making the plea, you will want to talk to a Seattle DUI defense attorney to review your case. Generally, there are three reasons you may want to make a not guilty plea:

1. Innocence. The most common reason that you may plead not guilty to a crime is actual innocence. If you did not commit the crime or are certain that there is a mistake with a blood alcohol test or field sobriety test result, your attorney can help fight for your innocence.
2. Bad Evidence. Oftentimes, the line between impaired driving and unimpaired driving is blurred. The burden is on prosecutors to prove guilt. And prosecutors have a high standard as they must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. In other words, if the evidence does not support the crime, your Seattle DUI attorney can help exonerate you.
3. Strategy. Prosecutors may have collected a lot of evidence against you. In these cases, you may still want to plead not guilty. As mentioned above, prosecutors have a high standard to meet to prove guilt. Because of this difficult standard, prosecutors may be willing to enter a plea deal. By pleading not guilty, you can start the bargaining process with prosecutors to possibly accepting a lesser charge or arguing for less severe penalties.

Individuals charged with drunk driving in Washington State should know that they face significant penalties. To learn about your defenses and options to fight the charge, you will want to talk to a Seattle DUI defense attorney. Discuss the specifics of your case with an experienced attorney at Wolff Criminal Defense. Contact us at 425-284-2000 to schedule a consultation.