Resisting Arrest: Explanation of the Charges
Posted By Seattle Criminal Defense Attorney on Apr 15, 2011 10:45am PDT
There is nothing quite as confusing as an arrest. It is likely that if you are in the process of being arrested that you will be confused, frightening and will have your adrenaline pumping. You might feel that you are being slapped with criminal charges that are unfair, or you could even feel as if you are being unlawfully arrested or falsely accused.
It can be easy in a situation such as this to forget yourself and to struggle, to protest or to try and voice your opinion. For many people, this is a natural reaction. It, however, could be a huge mistake. Under Washington law, 9A.76.040, should you make motions to intentionally prevent or even attempt to prevent a peace officer from lawfully arresting you, you could be facing charges of resisting arrest.
While this is a misdemeanor, there are instances in which it can be elevated to a felony. Beyond that, you will be facing compounded difficulties as this is a crime that will be slapped on top of whatever charges you were facing previously - creating a difficult, complex and daunting situation.
When this occurs, you need to ensure that you are being proactive and aggressive in your attempts to protect your rights. The best thing that you can do at a time such as this is to seek legal counsel from a local criminal defense lawyer so that you can talk about your rights and discuss your legal options.
At Baker, Lewis, Schwisow & Laws, PLLC, we are proud to provide our clients with creative and thorough legal advice when they need it most. We understand the stress associated with criminal cases and will do everything we can to help you find your optimum result.
No matter if that means we are looking to get charges dismissed, find a way to get them reduced or if we are looking to win a successful verdict in a trial setting, we will do everything possible to assist. So don't wait another moment - contact a Seattle criminal defense lawyer from our firm today.