Schwab Law defends criminal and DUI charges in Puyallup through the firm’s Western Division. Misdemeanors filed by the City of Puyallup are heard in Puyallup Municipal Court, while felony charges go to Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma — two different courts, two different prosecuting offices, and two very different sets of expectations.
How we help Puyallup clients
A great many Puyallup cases begin as a traffic stop on the SR 512 or SR 167 corridors, or at an event drawing traffic through the valley. Those stops are worth examining closely, because the reason given for the stop is often the first thing that does not hold up.
Where is a Puyallup criminal case heard?
If the City of Puyallup filed the charge, it is heard in Puyallup Municipal Court. If the stop happened outside city limits in unincorporated Pierce County, the case goes to Pierce County District Court instead. Felony charges from anywhere in the county are filed in Pierce County Superior Court at 930 Tacoma Avenue South.
Which court you are in changes the practical options. Municipal courts tend to have their own diversion and compliance practices, and what a prosecutor will agree to in one court is not a reliable guide to what another will do with the same facts.
What happens after a traffic stop leads to a DUI arrest?
Two cases open at once. The criminal case proceeds in the court that has the charge. Separately, the Department of Licensing begins an administrative action against your license based on the arrest, and that action is lost by default if a hearing is not requested within the statutory deadline.
The defenses frequently overlap. Whether the officer had a lawful reason to stop the vehicle, whether field sobriety testing was administered correctly, and whether the breath test instrument and its operator met the requirements all bear on both cases.
What charges do we handle in Puyallup?
- DUI and physical control, including second and subsequent offenses
- Driving while license suspended or revoked
- Reckless and negligent driving
- Domestic violence allegations and no-contact orders
- Assault and harassment charges
- Theft, shoplifting and malicious mischief
- Drug possession charges
Questions from Puyallup clients
Is Puyallup Municipal Court the same as Pierce County District Court?
No. They are separate courts with separate prosecutors. Which one has your case depends on who filed the charge — the City of Puyallup or Pierce County — which usually turns on where the stop or incident occurred.
Can a Puyallup DUI be reduced?
It happens, usually to reckless or negligent driving, and usually because of a problem with the stop, the testing, or what the State can actually prove. No attorney can tell you the outcome before reviewing the evidence in your case.
