Schwab Law defends criminal and DUI charges in Lakewood through the firm’s Western Division. Lakewood Municipal Court hears city misdemeanors and also serves DuPont and Steilacoom, so a charge from any of those three communities can land on the same calendar. Felonies go to Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma.
How we help Lakewood clients
Lakewood sits next to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and a meaningful share of the criminal cases here involve a service member or a military dependent. A conviction in those cases carries consequences beyond the sentence, which is why the charge itself — not just the penalty — is worth fighting over.
How does a criminal charge affect a service member?
A civilian conviction can follow a service member into their military career. Depending on the charge and the command, it can trigger administrative action, affect a security clearance, and affect promotion or retention. Those consequences often matter more to a client than the fine or the jail exposure in the civilian case.
That changes what a good outcome looks like. Negotiating the charge down to something that does not carry the same collateral weight can be worth more than negotiating the sentence, and it is a conversation that has to happen before a plea is entered, not after.
Which court hears a Lakewood case?
Misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors filed by the City of Lakewood are heard in Lakewood Municipal Court, which also provides court services for DuPont and Steilacoom. Felony charges from anywhere in Pierce County are filed in Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma.
Charges arising on the base itself follow a different path entirely, and whether a matter stays federal, goes to the state, or runs in both places is one of the first things to sort out.
What charges do we handle in Lakewood?
- DUI and physical control, first offense through felony DUI
- Domestic violence allegations and no-contact orders
- Assault in the fourth degree and felony assault
- Drug possession and distribution charges
- Theft and property crimes
- Driving while license suspended
- Protection orders — petitioning or responding
Questions from Lakewood clients
I live in DuPont. Which court will I be in?
Lakewood Municipal Court provides court services for DuPont, so a DuPont city charge is heard there. A felony is filed in Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma regardless of which city it came from.
Will my command find out about a civilian charge?
Commands commonly learn of civilian arrests, and many service members have a reporting obligation of their own. That is a question to raise with your attorney at the start, because it affects how a case should be handled, not just how it ends.
