Seattle Criminal Defense Lawyer

Defense for Misdemeanor & Felony Charges

It can be very upsetting to know that you are facing serious criminal charges. The Washington legal system can be confusing and difficult to navigate, especially if you have no knowledge of legal procedures. At Baker, Lewis, Schwisow & Laws, PLLC, our legal team understands the difficult situation in which you find yourself. Our Seattle criminal defense lawyers are fully prepared to work with you and your case in order to help maximize your chances of receiving the positive outcome that you desire.

No matter what type of criminal charges you are facing, you deserve to have the best possible defense attorney in your corner to help ensure that your rights are upheld. Our legal team believes in personalized service to each and every client. Some firms and attorneys might not feel the need to address your individual concerns and worries - we feel that our relationship with each and every client is extremely important.

At our firm, we can offer you the legal help for any misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, or felony charge. Here are some examples of common types of those charges:

Arson

Arson is the criminal act of setting fire to a property or a piece of land. A person who causes a fire on a mountainside, in a home or in a building can be charged with this serious offense, even when it was done so unintentionally. Contact an attorney immediately if you are under investigation for this crime.

Clearing Your Record

Clearing your criminal record can be one of the most useful things to do. It will allow you to finally apply to jobs and for loans without having to say that you have been committed of a criminal act. When a criminal record is successfully cleared, the offense will be removed altogether. This process is often called "expunging" of records.

Conspiracy

Conspiracy is the criminal offense that is charged to a group of people when two or more people get together and agree to commit a crime. This offense can be charged and successfully prosecuted, even when no crime was actually committed by the individual or the group.

Criminal Trespassing

Being convicted of trespassing can carry a criminal charge. Trespassing means you entered onto a property illegally without the consent of the owner. This charge can be similar to burglary, even if nothing was stolen or burglarized.

DUI

Driving under the influence of alcohol is a serious offense in the state of Washington that can result in license suspension, imprisonment, and fines, among many other consequences. In some cases, individuals will lose their job as a result of a DUI conviction.

Drug Crimes

Have you been accused of possessing or selling drugs? If this offense was allegedly committed near a school, park, or to underage individuals directly, you may be facing enhanced penalties for this crime. Call an attorney as soon as possible if you are facing any type of drug offense.

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence, assault and abuse are all against the law in the state of Washington. Often times, all that is needed to charge someone with a domestic violence charge is a witness statement, little to no evidence is needed. If you are accused of a domestic violence, you could be facing charges ranging from a misdemeanor to a serious felony.

Driving Offenses

Traffic tickets can seem minor and very insignificant, but too many of these offenses can result in serious consequences. Traffic tickets include speeding tickets, red light tickets and radar tickets. If you have too many traffic tickets, you could be facing a "point" on your driving record and increased insurance rates as a result.

Failure to Appear

If you have missed a criminal court hearing for any reason, you may be at risk for harsh criminal penalties under the law. Failure to appear can result in a bench warrant for your arrest, and you may be placed in jail without release for the duration of your criminal case as well.

False Statement to Public Servant

Providing false information to the police, a firefighter, investigators or any other type of public servant can result in serious charges, especially if a false witness statement led to a wrongful arrest. Unfortunately, these cases often involve a confused witness or a misunderstanding, but still carry serious consequences.

Felony Crimes

Felonies are among the most serious offenses a person can be convicted of. Crimes that fall under this category are usually punishable by over a year of imprisonment, among many other consequences. Furthermore, most felony offenses cannot be cleansed from a record in the future.

Juvenile Crimes

When your child is caught doing something that is against the law, they will also face harsh consequences, despite their age. In some juvenile cases, a prosecutor will push to have a child tried as an adult so that they can seek harsher penalties for the crime.

Malicious Mischief

The crime of malicious mischief can be charged to a person for several reasons, including knowingly causing physical damage to a person's property. Depending upon the amount of damage committed to the person's property, malicious mischief can be tried as a misdemeanor or felony crime.

Obstruction

Obstruction of justice is generally described as an offense in which a person interferes with a criminal investigation or a criminal case. This can include tampering with evidence or concealing evidence, even if it is unintentional in some cases.

Posting Bail

After you are arrested and booked for a crime, you may be held in jail for an indefinite amount of time. The judge will usually give you the option of posting bail so that you do not have to stay in jail during the duration of your case.

Pre-File Investigations

Having an investigation conducted before your case goes to trial is crucial if you wish to find a favorable outcome. Police already have evidence against you and the prosecutor will use this to their advantage. To gain the outcome you desire, you will need an investigator of your own to collect evidence in your favor.

Reckless Endangerment

Reckless endangerment is a crime that can be charged to an individual for engaging in some type of activity that can be considered dangerous or cause substantial injury or death to another person. This includes reckless driving that caused a car accident or even a domestic abuse situation that caused harm to an individual. Talk to a lawyer immediately if you are facing this charge.

Resisting Arrest

Many actions can be viewed as resisting arrest, including running from an officer, refusing to be arrested or physically assaulting an officer during the arrest process. While some of these situations can be easily misinterpreted by an officer, you could still be charged with this offense.

Theft Crimes

Theft offenses, including shoplifting, grand theft, auto theft, robbery, and petty theft, are all serious crimes that are punishable by criminal and financial consequences. A person can suffer financially after being convicted of this crime if they are forced to pay fines, restitution and possibly face job loss.

Violent Crimes

Violent crimes, or crimes against another human, are the most serious offenses. They involve causing harm, bodily injury or death to another person, and are the most heavily prosecuted cases. Violent offenses include crimes such as assault, murder, any domestic violence offense, robbery, and more.

Federal Crimes

In the United states, some crimes fall within the jurisdiction of the federal government if the crime is severe enough or involves activity across state lines. Criminal offenses that are filed and tried on the federal level are extremely serious. No matter whether relating to a drug crime, a white collar crime or other, it is important that no time is wasted in getting the involvement of a highly qualified legal professional to help defend your legal rights.

Harassment

Criminal offenses accusing one of knowingly threatening to cause bodily harm to another person, to cause physical damage to another's property, to subject the person to confinement against their will, or maliciously do any other act intended to substantially harm the person with respect to their mental health and well-being.

Internet Crimes

Crimes which are committed using a computer or the Internet are extremely serious and require a knowledgeable lawyer to help defend against them. From identity theft to hacking, our firm has what it takes to ensure that our clients are well-protected against the possibility of conviction.

Sex Crimes

Criminal offenses involving sex are highly stigmatized and therefore extremely severe. No matter whether you have been accused of rape / sexual assault or of failing to register as a sex offender, you can trust in the four decades of collective legal experience from our firm.

White Collar Crimes

Often committed in a financial or business setting—and rarely involving violence—white collar crimes can take months or even years to investigate. When the prosecution has this much on their side, you need to make sure that you're evening the playing field. Our firm can help with that.

Criminal Defense Attorney in Seattle

Our attorneys are seasoned litigators with a successful track record. It doesn't matter whether you face a misdemeanor charge or a more serious felony, we are here to help. The attorneys at our firm are prepared to defend your rights regardless of the severity or circumstances of the case.

If you or someone you love has been charged with a crime, you owe it to yourself to take the time to determine the best course of action in your unique situation. Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns that you might have. We are proud to serve clients in Bellevue, Kirkland, Seattle, and all of Greater King/Snohomish/Pierce Counties.

Contact a Seattle criminal defense attorney at our law offices today.