Bellevue Boating Offense Lawyer
Lake Washington, Lake Sammamish, and Puget Sound are heavily controlled by police who monitor the waters for boaters under the influence of alcohol or drugs. These areas are even more heavily monitored Opening Day the first weekend in May and during Seafair in Seattle on Lake Washington the first weekend in August. Individuals who are arrested on suspicion of boating under the influence (BUI) or other boating offenses need an experienced defense lawyer who understands the laws and how to successfully challenge the evidence presented by the arresting officer.
Aggressive and Experienced Bellevue and King County BUI Attorney
I'm John Polito, a Bellevue boating offense attorney with 30 years of experience challenging drunk driving (DUI/DWI) and drunk boating (BUI) cases in Washington. I relentlessly defend clients facing boating charges in Seattle, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Tacoma, and other cities in western Washington state. I offer tireless defense whether you are facing charges involving boating under the influence or negligent operation of a boat or less serious infractions such as failure to have proper safety equipment onboard or any other boating offense.
Many boaters are pulled over for minor infractions when the officer's observations lead to charges of underage drinking, possession of illegal drugs or other offenses.
It is important to understand that in any drunk driving case—including boating under the influence and other boating offense cases—challenging the stop or other evidence can significantly weaken the case against you and may even result in charges being dropped. I use my 30 years of experience and my battery of experts to aggressively attack evidence in BUI and other boating offense cases.
I work hard to challenge the officer's basis for stopping you because it is during the stop that the officer forms opinions, asks incriminating questions, or otherwise obtains information to use against you. Challenging cause for the stop, illegal search and seizure, or other violations of police procedure can result in incriminating evidence being suppressed from the record, providing leverage to negotiate a favorable plea agreement or obtain a dismissal of the charges.
Drunk driving and BUI cases are frequently based upon the subjective opinions of the arresting officer—opinions regarding how the boater was operating the vehicle, how the boater performed sobriety tests, and other observations. My knowledge of the rules of the waterways and police procedure enable me to better cross-examine officers about their opinions when their testimony puts boaters in jeopardy of criminal charges, placing reasonable doubt in the minds of jurors.
In addition to thoroughly defending clients in criminal courts, I am adept at representing them in civil claims arising from boating accidents and boating injuries allegedly caused by a boater's operation of the watercraft while under the influence.
Free consultation: Contact me Bellevue BUI defense attorney John J. Polito, for a no-cost assessment of your criminal defense case and your options. From my office in Bellevue, Washington, I serve clients in Seattle, King County, Snohomish County, and Pierce County. I accept all major credit cards for your convenience. Please call my office at (425) 646-7111, or my cell phone at (206) 371-9870.