Tacoma Criminal Defense Attorneys

If you were arrested for a crime or you suspect that you might soon be arrested, you should work with a lawyer immediately.  Our attorneys can help protect your rights throughout your case, from arrest to sentencing or acquittal.

The police and prosecutors in your case know that they have a lot of room to get you to confess or to otherwise try to convince you to work with them.  It is important to understand your rights and know what kind of cooperation you are allowed to refuse.  Our lawyers can also put our experience to use on your case and fight the charges at trial if necessary.

For a thorough case review, call the Law Offices of Smith & White’s criminal defense attorneys at (253) 203-1645 today.

Types of Cases We Handle

Our attorneys handle all kinds of cases, from traffic offenses to murder:

• Traffic tickets
• Drunk and reckless driving
• Shoplifting and theft
• Drug possession
• Assault
• Fraud
• Drug trafficking
• Sexual assault and rape
• Burglary and robbery
• Aggravated assault
• Manslaughter and murder.

We also work to help defendants in complex cases that can ruin their reputation and have social implications, like DUI and domestic violence cases.

What Are the Stages of a Criminal Case in Tacoma, WA?

Most criminal cases work through these stages, and we can be involved and working on your case in all stages:

Investigation

If you have been approached by an officer or asked to “come down to the station for some questions,” call us immediately.  The police might already be looking at you as their prime suspect and seeking to build a case against you.

You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning, whether you have been arrested or not.  Never try to answer an officer’s questions without us; you might not know what they already know and how any information you give them could confirm their suspicions and lead to your arrest.

Arrest and Post-Arrest Procedures

If the police get a warrant or arrest you after claiming to witness you committing a crime, call us.  We can step in and be present during any questions, stand up for you at your arraignment, and seek to get you released on bail.

After arrest, do not answer any questions (except basic biographical questions, address, etc.), and demand to have your lawyer present before continuing.

Hearings and Pre-Trial Stages

From there, the case will progress through checks for probable cause, bail hearings, and other procedural steps.  We can start negotiating with the prosecution and pointing to problems with their evidence that will make conviction harder or impossible.

If you want to seek a plea deal, we can also start looking at these options.

Trial

At trial, we can look for holes in the defense’s case, challenge their witnesses, and present evidence of our own.  We do not have to prove your innocence; we just have to provide reasonable doubt.

Sentencing

If you lose at trial, your case moves to sentencing.  We can look at the sentencing report, present our own facts about your case and your history, and argue for probation only or other reduced sentences.

Appeals

Sometimes the end of your case is not actually the end of your case, and we can file appeals to challenge improper decisions the trial court judge made or rights violations during evidence collection, interrogations, or trial.  This could overturn the case and get you a new trial.

FAQs for Criminal Defense Cases in Tacoma

When Does My Right to Remain Silent/Right to an Attorney Start?

If you are 1) in custody and 2) being asked questions by police, then you definitively have the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney.  They also should have read you your Miranda Rights and specifically told you about this right.

However, you technically do have the right to remain silent earlier, and you can always bring your lawyer with you if you are asked to come in for questioning without an arrest.  Never answer questions or talk to the police without a lawyer.

What if They Didn’t Read Me My Rights?

Movies and TV shows have people thinking that police must read you your rights when you are arrested, but that isn’t the case.  Police must read you your rights if 1) you are in custody and 2) they are interrogating you, but not before that.

If they don’t read you your rights before an interrogation, it is possible the whole interrogation could be thrown out as illegal evidence.

Do I Need a Lawyer?

In most criminal cases, you should have a lawyer.  Even “minor” offenses can go on your record and cost you hundreds of dollars in court costs and fines that you should not have to pay if you are innocent or if the police violated your rights during investigations.

How is Bail Determined?

It is best to fight your case from outside a jail cell, so if we can get bail granted and you can afford to pay the bond, you should be released.

Courts should determine bail based on your flight risk and danger to the community.  If bail was set too high or they are not actually looking closely at these factors, we can see about getting you released.

What Are Probation and Parole?

Not every conviction results in actual jail time.  Probation is supervised release, where you are allowed to skip jail time, but you have conditions of supervision such as check-ins, drug tests, home searches, and a ban on further violations.  If you violate the terms or miss a check-in, you can be arrested and put in jail instead.

Parole is like probation, but it takes place after you have already served some time in prison.  This essentially gets you out of prison early, and you serve the rest of your time at home under supervision.

Call Our Criminal Defense Lawyers in Tacoma Today

For help with your criminal case, call Smith & White’s criminal defense attorneys at (253) 203-1645.