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A Washington State Trooper recently handed me the attached pamphlet to let me know that there is a new DUI emphasis squad on the road called Target Zero. An emphasis squad is not new to Snohomish County.  We have had a specialized DUI crew called the Nighttime Emphasis Enforcement Team (NEET) for almost two years. The DUI officers were 5 to 6 Troopers who did nothing but patrol during the normal DUI hours (late night – early morning) and arrested people who they suspected were driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Snohomish, King, and Pierce counties will now have the federally funded “Target Zero” teams on the road. They are, as they advertise, “100 percent dedicated to getting impaired drivers off Washington roadways.”

What does this mean to you? Well, let’s start with the obvious. Don’t drink and drive. Target Zero strongly suggests getting 100 percent of the drivers off of the road who have ANY alcohol or ANY drugs or ANY medications in their system.

Second, if you are arrested for suspicion of DUI (alcohol, drugs or medications), hire a King County WA dui attorney or Snohomish County WA dui attorney who is 100 percent dedicated to DUI defense to protect your rights.

Consider yourself warned.

If you have any questions about Washington State laws regarding DUI or Washington DUI Penalties, please don’t hesitate to call my office at (425) 422-5818 or visit my website at www.washington-dui.com.

You have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and you have worked hard to get that special licensing endorsement.

You have endured the medical examinations and have met the standards as proscribed by federal regulations.

You have put in the hard work with the training requirements – up to 160 hours of hard work including classroom instruction and lab work.

Your CDL is important to you, and you earn your livelihood from your CDL.

You were aware that you could not drive with a breath/blood alcohol content (BAC) of a .04 when driving a commercial motor vehicle (CMV).

You were aware that a DUI in Washington State could cause you to lose your personal driver’s license.

What you didn’t know, was that if you have been arrested for a Washington State DUI, and you are a CDL holder, you could very well lose your CDL for at least one year.”How could this be?” “How can the DOL and the Federal Government take my CDL?” “Is there any way to fight to keep my CDL so I don’t lose my job?” These are the questions that I am often asked as a Washington DUI Lawyer who defends people in Washington State accused of a DUI.

Let me start by telling you about the history of the CDL and how the federal government is involved. First, Federal standards were adopted in 1986 with the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act (CMVSA). Before the CMVSA, there were only lose and inconsistent regulation between the states. With the adoption of the CMVSA, requirements were imposed on the driver, the employer, and the State. The influence of the Federal Government grew in 1999 when Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was created. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration increased funding for enforcement of the CDL laws, as well as oversight. The biggest changes occurred in 2000, when disqualifications of the CDL were required for incidents for licensees even when they were driving NON Commercial Motor Vehicles! Disqualifications can occur even for “not so serious” violations. Do you think that the States could ignore the new regulations? No way, if they did so, they risk losing federal funding.

In my next post, I will talk about the types of incidents that can trigger a suspension or a disqualification of a CDL and dui regulations in the State of Washington.

If you have any questions about your privilege to drive with a CDL and DUI penalties in Washington State, please don’t hesitate to call my office at (425) 422-5818 or visit my website at www.washington-dui.com.

A recent article in the Seattle Times:  http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012095021_alcoholic12m.html discussed how local chapters gathered on Sunday as 2 million members celebrated the anniversary of Dr. Bob and Bill W’s movement; which helps alcoholics help each other.

This article reminded me of a question I get asked often from prospective clients, “Do I have to go to AA meetings”?  The answer is most likely, no.  There are many consequences to a Washington State DUI, but  Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings may not be ordered on your case.  AA or other self help type meetings are great for people who are either have chemical dependency issues or need the help of support groups. If this is your first time DUI arrest, you many have just made a poor choice by drinking and driving. Self help meetings may not be something you need to attend, if you don’t have a problem. In other words, if you made a mistake by drinking too much and driving then AA may be overkill.

However, you may want to check out self help meetings to see if they help you. It may be that you desire the fellowship, sharing, and support that a 12-step program provides. I have had several clients who enjoy, if not love the help that AA provides. I encourage you to talk to me about the need for treatment and/or AA.  I will put you in contact with a treatment provider.

Please call me at 425-422-5818 or visit my website at www.washington-dui.com if you have any questions regarding treatment or the need for attending AA meetings.

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