The Smith & White Blog

“¡Pero yo estaba más calificado para el trabajo!” “¡Mis ingresos podían cubrir totalmente este préstamo!” “¡Mis calificaciones eran excelentes!” Si alguna vez has sido rechazado por un empleador, un prestamista, una universidad o una agencia de alquiler, puede ser porque realizaron una verificación de antecedentes. La persona que toma esas decisiones de aprobación o rechazo […]

Being accused of a crime can be a daunting and life-changing experience. The possibility of incarceration, either in jail or in prison, may weigh heavily on the accused and their loved ones. However, several legal strategies can be employed to reduce or eliminate the possibility of jail time. There are a number of ways the […]

All of us are taught at a very young age that all Americans have certain rights. We are also taught that no American is denied these rights. However, after you were convicted of a crime you found out that there was indeed an exception to this rule. There is a class of people that are […]

All of us are taught at a very young age that all Americans have certain rights. We are also taught that no American is denied these rights. However, after you were convicted of a crime you found out that there was indeed an exception to this rule. There is a class of people that are […]

What should I do after I have just shot someone? As an attorney, I am often asked this question in my practice. Mostly this comes from fellow gun owners who, like me, carry a gun for self-defense. They have trained on what to do during the encounter, how to act non-confrontational, how not to draw […]

You’re facing one of the scariest situations that can happen to someone in Washington – you’re facing DUI charges. As you know, the penalties are steep: jail time, fines, license suspension and perhaps other official penalties like an ignition interlock device or non-official penalties like your families’ negative reaction or difficulty in job searching. You […]

If you drive in the state of Washington, you are treated as having consented to a breath test once you are lawfully arrested for DUI. If you refuse, you can lose your license. However, there is no breath test for a marijuana DUI. When officers suspect marijuana impairment, the chemical test they rely on is […]

Washington has legalized recreational marijuana, which means that there are many more drivers arrested and convicted for marijuana DUI now than there used to be. Police officers can find it difficult to determine whether to arrest a driver for marijuana DUI. Unlike with an alcohol-related DUI, there are very few tools that can be administered […]

Although recreational marijuana use is legal in Washington, it remains a serious criminal offense to drive while under the influence of marijuana. At Smith & White, our Tacoma DUI defense attorneys regularly defend clients charged with marijuana DUIs in Pierce County and surrounding areas. If you have been arrested for driving under the influence of […]

Officers must have probable cause to arrest you for a marijuana DUI. Even before pulling you over to investigate, an officer needs to have a reasonable suspicion that you committed or are in the process of committing a crime or that you are about to commit a crime. If an officer stops you, they will […]