FAQs

A. No, contesting a speeding ticket will not make it worse. There isn’t really any pitfall to contesting a ticket other than the time you’ll waste at court. Hiring an attorney can be very beneficial as they can likely waive your appearance and handle it for you. A successful contest can also help avoid a moving violation on your record and avoid insurance hikes.

A. Unless you have already been placed under probation, court supervision, or specific conditions of release it is unlikely you will be required to take a drug test. A charge of minor in possession (MIP) is classified as a gross misdemeanor under Washington law RCW 66.44.270. The penalty or punishment of a MIP conviction can be serious, including jail and monetary fine; not too mention a conviction on your record. However, if you have never been in trouble before, most courts and prosecutors will be fairly reasonable in these circumstances. Sometimes pre trial diversion agreements will be offered to teach you a lesson and hold you accountable, but also offer an alternative to a conviction.

If you’re facing an MIP charge you should really seek the advice of a lawyer. At such a young age, you don’t want your record tarnished, if possible. The court system can be very confusing and having a good attorney can help guide you through the process and fight for you.

A. You should know upfront whether he is currently being tried as an adult or a juvenile. If he is in the juvenile system currently, he will likely remain there. Different rules do apply between juvenile and adult court.

If this is in Pierce County, you should be able to get additional information from working with probation officer. I would also encourage you to reach out to an attorney on this matter.

A. Yes, you can be cited and possibly fined for not properly displaying a parking tag. Many judges and parking enforcement will employ a strict letter of the law when it comes to proper display of parking passes/disabled parking tags. Unfortunately, you can’t always expect empathy or compassion from some people.

You should consider contesting the matter and request a court date before a judge. If you properly document the incident, bring in the display tag, and possible pictures of where it was displayed, you may find a compassionate judge who will let you go with a warning.

A. To get a protection order dropped, you need to file a motion to rescind or remove. To give yourself the best opportunity for removal you should consult with a lawyer. Protection orders are put in place for a reason. The judge will not be compelled by the simple passage of time. You will need to demonstrate and show to the judge a very compelling reason(s) to rescind: factors such as counseling, treatment, medication, inherit bonds – family parent/children husband/wife, safety plans are just a few. Having third parties available for support can also help (e.g. family members, counselors). It should also be noted separate attorneys may help facilitate the request.

A. I can only presume the No Contact Order (NCO) was put in place through a criminal court, and there is an underlying allegation of Assault or Malicious Mischief and the charge came with a Domestic Violence tag. If so, you may petition the court (file a motion) to ask the court or judge to Rescind the NCO.

Understand, the judge will not simply remove or rescind the NCO because you, or the alleged victim, is asking. There are a lot of factors the judge will consider before removing a NCO; such as, is this isolated incident, are safety plans in place, has anyone undergone treatment, were drugs or alcohol involved, etc. The judge wants assurance no further incidents are going to occur. To accomplish this, you should go speak with and hire an attorney.

A. Yes, contest the ticket! The facts and fine seem outrageous. I think hiring an attorney would be money well spent in this circumstance.