Is a DUI considered a prior offense for a felony charge?

In Washington State, a DUI is considered a prior offense for a felony charge. A DUI is counted as a “priorable” offense, meaning that if a person is convicted of another offense, the court will take into account any prior convictions as part of determining the penalty. This is true even if the prior offense is a DUI or another misdemeanor, and is separate from the new offense. For example, if a person is convicted for a third-degree driving under the influence (DUI) and then is later convicted of a felony offense, the court will view the prior DUI conviction as a prior offense and may increase the penalty based on the prior conviction. Even if the prior offense was a misdemeanor, such as a DUI, if it was committed within a certain time frame, it may be counted as a prior offense. In Washington State, the time frame for prior offenses to be counted as priors is within the last eight years. This means that any prior offenses within the last eight years can still count as priors, even if they were not felonies. This also means that DUIs from more than eight years ago are not typically considered priors, though the court can still take them into account as part of determining the penalty. To sum up, in Washington State, DUIs are considered prior offenses for felony charges. They count as “prior offenses”, meaning that if a person is convicted of another offense, the court will take into account any prior convictions as part of determining the penalty. The time frame for priors to be counted is within the last eight years, so DUIs from more than eight years ago are not typically considered priors, though the court can still take them into account.

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