FAQ

If you want the best traffic defense, when you hire the Law Office of Doug Silva, I believe you will find out why tens of thousands over the years have made that decision and are satisfied with that choice.

I charge a flat-rate fee depending on the court and the charge(s) involved. This flat rate fee needs to be agreed to in writing before I begin to represent you. I do not require that you pay before I begin to represent you, but I do require that you pay before I go to court for you. When my office has reviewed your ticket, you will be quoted a flat fee and asked to execute a flat fee agreement.

Every case is unique. Results depend on a number of factors, including but not limited to:

• What facts the officer wrote in your case;

• If there are any technical fatal defects in the ticket;

• Which judge is deciding your case;

• Did you make any admissions that the officer has included in evidence;

• Whether the public records, if any, are properly on file with the court;

• What are the legal elements involved in the charge(s) against you;

• The identity of the prosecutor, etc.

​All of these factors and more are what I have to evaluate in handling your case. But based on thousands of cases, it’s an analysis I believe will obtain you the best results possible. Unfortunately, this is not all known until the time of the hearing. So when you present my office with a ticket, no one could possibly answer that question at that time. My staff cannot give legal advice.

Since contested hearings are civil matters, if you are represented by an attorney, the general rule is that you do not need to appear. But if there are facts you need to dispute or to let the court know about, then you will have to appear because you cannot just submit a written statement when you are represented by an attorney. The charge(s) involved also are important factors in this issue. Unless you receive a subpoena from the court, or if we write you that you need to appear, then you need not appear. But if you want to see what happens, you certainly should come to court.

As noted before, every ticket is unique and depends on an almost infinite number of potential factors. Like the disclaimer in financial ads says: past performance is no guarantee of future success. You should also be aware that Washington maintains an unofficial record on you which is available only to courts, police, and prosecutors. It is called “DCH” and it lists every traffic citation and/or criminal charge for which you received a ticket or notice. (The DCH is how judges keep track of deferred findings because deferred findings are not tracked on your official Abstract of Driving Record with DOL.) If you have an extensive DCH but your ADR is clean because you have had a number of tickets dismissed, this fact is certain not to escape the notice of prosecutors. Over the past 25 plus years, the trend has reversed. Then, most courts did not have prosecutors at contested hearings. Now, most courts do have prosecutors at contested hearings. Insurance companies and employers cannot obtain your DCH.

No. Just contact the office by phone, fax, e-mail, or in person during normal business hours. If you call when the office is closed please leave a voicemail. If you fax your ticket, please call the office about 15 minutes after faxing (or during the next business day) to make sure we can read the ticket and can contact you. If you e-mail the ticket, you should be contacted within the next business day. If not, please call the office to make sure we in fact have received your e-mail. Again, don’t wait until the last day to contact the office.

I cannot and do not make guarantees. It is not only unethical to make such a guarantee, but it is also like saying that I can predict and guarantee the future. My practice is based on thorough preparation and extensive experience. I do not need to make unethical (and foolish) promises to get new clients. You should be confident in my representation in these matters. Judges, prosecutors, court personnel, police officers, other attorneys, professional drivers, and even a radar expert have referred themselves and friends to me because of that expertise. Their confidence, along with thousands of clients who have hired me, is precisely why I am a leader in traffic ticket defense in Washington.