A Tacoma man could face his 14th drunk driving conviction, reports King 5 News.

This May, Tracy Dean Williams, rear-ended another vehicle. When police arrived at the scene, they found two open bottles of booze in his van. In addition, they found that Williams' license had been suspended and that he had 13 prior DUI convictions to his name.

Despite this extensive history of DUIs, the most serious penalty that Williams can face is three years and 90 days in jail. That's because a Washington court may not consider all of Williams' past DUIs when determining potential penalties.

In Washington, a driver may face felony DUI charges if he has four or more DUI convictions. However, prosecutors may only look back ten years to determine if there is this number of DUIs. So a DUI conviction that occurred in 1995 or 2000 typically could not be used to support a felony conviction based on past convictions only.

Williams' first DUI conviction occurred in 1984, nearly 30 years earlier. It wasn't reported when the other 13 DUI convictions occurred, but King 5 News did write that most of the past offenses happened more than ten years ago. As a result, Williams only faces two misdemeanor charges for this most recent DUI.

Accused repeat DUI offenders like Tracy Dean Williams are being targeted by Washington lawmakers. A proposed law is currently pending that could require drivers like Williams to immediately install an ignition interlock device. In addition, prosecutors may be less sympathetic to cut a favorable deal with someone with a past history of DUIs.

That's why if you are charged with drunk driving in the Seattle or King County areas, it is important that you work with experienced counsel. Drivers who have been convicted of a DUI in the past can face significant jail time and monetary fines if they are convicted again. The attorneys at Wolff Criminal Defense understand the challenges that repeat DUI offenders face.

Contact us at 425-284-2000 to schedule a consultation and learn how we can help you defend your charge. Don't fight your charge alone.