"What I've learned over time is if you bring to the courtroom
the ironclad will to win...success will follow."
– Douglas L Cowan
Cowan Kirk Gaston

One of the stars of the reality television show “Deadliest Catch” was arrested in Washington Thursday on suspicion of drunk driving.

According to Washington State Police Troopers, 24 year-old Jake Harris, a deckhand on the Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch” was booked into King County Jail Thursday. Harris was pulled over shortly after 9:00 p.m. on Interstate 5 in Shoreline after troopers observed his BMW 3 Series driving erratically.

Harris was driving with a suspended license, when he was pulled over. Police administered a field sobriety test which Harris failed. The young fisherman refused a Breathalyzer test.

According to court documents, Judge Aaron Rocke found probable cause for the charges in a hearing on Friday. Harris” bail is set at $1,500.

If you or a loved one is facing DUI charges, please contact a Seattle DUI lawyer of the Cowan, Krik & Gaston Law Firm by calling 866-822-1230.

A California state senator was arrested and charged with DUI last week in Sacramento.

Republican senator Roy Ashburn, representative of Bakersfield, was pulled over by police shortly after 2:00 a.m. Wednesday after police officers observed the man driving erratically. According to officials at the Sacramento County Jail, officers administered a field sobriety test which Ashburn failed. The legislator was taken to the police station where he failed a blood-alcohol test and was booked for DUI.

Ashburn released a statement expressing his remorse, saying “I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuse for my poor judgement… I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to accept the consequences for what I did.”

If you or a loved one is facing DUI charges, please contact a Seattle DUI lawyer of the Cowan, Krik & Gaston Law Firm by calling 866-822-1230.

Bryon Westbrook of the Washington Redskins was arrested on charges of DUI early Friday morning.

The 25 year-old cornerback was driving a gary Mercedes on Route 5 near Lakewood Place around 2 a.m. Friday, when a Charles County sheriff’s deputy says he observed Westbrook driving erratically. Diane Richardson, a spokeswoman for the department, said the deputy saw the Mercedes “cross the lane marker several times.” Upon stopping Westbrook, the deputy “detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage.” emanating from the vehicle.

Richardson said Westbrook failed “several field sobriety tests” and refused a breathalyzer. Westbrook was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while impaired, negligent driving and failing to stay on the right side of the road. He was released to await a court appearance.

The Redskins released a statement Friday acknowledging the charges. “We take these issues very seriously… Moving forward, we plan to meet with Byron and will continue to monitor the situation.”

If you or someone you know is facing DUI charges in the state of Washington, procuring an experienced and trustworthy attorney is of paramount importance to the outcome of your case. Please contact a Seattle DUI lawyer of Cowan, Kirk & Gaston by calling 866-822-1230.

The first felony DUI sentence in Washington’s new felony DUI law resulted in a four year prison sentence for a man from Island County.

The DUI law in Washington changed in 2007 allowing for a felony charge for a fourth offense or if one offense involves an assault or homicide charge. 45 year-old Kelly Wayne Shields pleaded guilty last week to a charge of felony driving under the influence. He was convicted of vehicular assault and was therefore automatically charged with a felony. Shields agreed to a plea bargain and was sentenced to four years in prison.

Shields was arrested on January 29 after he was stopped for driving erratically. Shields was driving with a suspended license at the time and a breathalyzer test showed his blood alcohol content to be .23 percent, almost thrice the legal limit of .08 percent.

If you or someone you know is facing DUI charges in the state of Washington, procuring an experienced and trustworthy attorney is of paramount importance to the outcome of your case. Please contact a Seattle DUI lawyer of Cowan, Kirk & Gaston by calling 866-822-1230.

A driver who ran down a Seattle family in their driveway has been charged with driving under the influence and is scheduled to be sentenced Friday.

50 year-old Rodney James had several unopened beer cans in his vehicle, on December 12, when he veered off the road and into the driveway of Wah Wong. James’ Corvette struck Wong and his son Jason, injuring them both. Jason’s injuries were so severe that doctors were forced to amputate his left leg.

A preliminary breathalyzer test administered to James showed his blood alcohol content to be 0.16 percent, twice the legal limit in Washington of .08 percent. The prosecuting attorney is seeking a sentence of 30-months for James.

If you or someone you know is facing DUI charges in Washington, please contact a Seattle DUI lawyer of the Cowan, Kirk & Gaston Law Firm by calling 866-822-1230.

An American Idol hopeful from Seattle could not compete in the reality show’s Hollywood competition after being arrested for driving under the influence.

Millions of television viewers watched as Danelle Hayes, of Seattle, attempted to win over the judges with her singing at the show’s Denver auditions last week. Hayes was one of the few people chosen to move on to the next round of the competition, a live broadcast from Hollywood. She failed to make it to California however after being arrested and charged with DUI.

“I made a poor choice…” Hayes told reporters, “It’s not my criminal record. I got arrested for a DUI… I did what’s called a deferred prosecution so in seven years if I’m good, it’s then erased from my record. But I then have to be on probation for those seven years where they’re watching me and making sure I don’t screw up again and get any infractions. …They didn’t want to have to go to Washington state and ask them for permission for me to go on tour.”

If you or a loved one is facing DUI charges, please contact a Seattle DUI lawyer of the Cowan, Krik & Gaston Law Firm by calling 866-822-1230.

A judge denied a Seattle man bail on a DUI charge because the man was currently free on his own personal recognizance bond following a prior DUI conviction. According to sources close to the case, some are questioning the judge’s decision to deny bail, claiming that he used it as a form of punishment for the man’s actions. While judges may deny bail if there is a willful violation of the release, some question the legality of keeping the man in jail following this recent arrest.

DUI convictions can seriously impact your personal and professional life. Contact the Seattle DUI attorneys of Cowan Kirk & Gaston at 866-822-1230 for help with your defense.

A 62 year-old man was arrested and charged with DUI after he was spotted driving his Porche without a rear tire. A Seattle police officer noticed sparks and heard a grinding sound coming from the back of the vehicle as the man drove down Pike Street near Third Avenue.

Upon further investigation, the trooper discovered that the driver was heavily intoxicated and was completely unaware of the issue with the vehicle. The man was subsequently arrested and charged with DUI.

If you or someone you love is facing DUI charges, contact the Seattle DUI attorneys of the Cowan, Kirk & Gaston Law Firm at 866-822-1230.

A man pleaded guilty for drunk driving charges after he hit and killed a 21-year-old woman from Seattle.

They accident happened on July 21. The man lost control of his car and hit two camp counselors who were walking along the road. The woman from Seattle was killed and the other California woman was injured. The man is sentenced to eight years in prison.

If you or someone you love has been arrested on DUI charges, you need an experienced lawyer on your side. Please contact the Seattle DUI lawyers of the Cowan, Kirk, & Gaston  Law Firm by calling 866-822-1230 today.

According to officials, there were no DUI related traffic fatalities over the New Year’s weekend.

Last year on New Year’s weekend there were five alcohol-related deaths in the state. Over the New Year’s weekend police officials made 257 DUI arrests. This is a decrease from last year’s 291 DUI arrests over the weekend. Officials are attributing the decrease to people taking taxis and assigning designated drivers.

If you or someone  you love has been arrested on DUI charges it is important to have an experienced lawyer on your side, contact the Seattle DUI lawyer of Cowan Kirk Gaston Law Firm at 1-866-822-1230 today.