Access Graham DUI Records

Graham is an unincorporated community in Pierce County with no municipal court of its own. All DUI cases from Graham go through the Pierce County court system. Misdemeanor DUI charges are handled by Pierce County District Court. Felony cases go to Pierce County Superior Court. Both are in Tacoma, and both maintain searchable public records. This page explains how the process works, where to find records online, and what Washington law says about DUI penalties.

DUI Cases in Graham Go to Pierce County District Court

Graham is not incorporated, so there is no city government and no local court. The Pierce County Sheriff's Office patrols the area. When a DUI arrest happens in Graham, the case is filed at Pierce County District Court.

Pierce County District Court is at 930 Tacoma Ave S, Tacoma, WA 98402. You can reach the court at (253) 798-3333. This court handles misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor criminal charges from unincorporated Pierce County. DUI is one of the more common charges on its docket.

Washington classifies most DUI offenses as gross misdemeanors. That includes first, second, and third offenses within a ten-year period. A gross misdemeanor carries up to 364 days in jail and up to a $5,000 fine. But the law sets mandatory minimums, and those are what courts must impose at minimum. Judges can go higher based on the facts.

The DUI statute is RCW 46.61.502. Under this law, a driver is legally impaired if their BAC is 0.08 or above, or if their blood THC level is 5.00 nanograms per milliliter or above. These limits apply to adults. Stricter rules apply to drivers under 21. The law also covers impairment by prescription drugs and other substances, not just alcohol and cannabis.

Court records from district court are public. They cover the charge, hearings, continuances, and the final outcome. You can review them in person or search online through the state portal.

Felony DUI: Pierce County Superior Court

When a DUI charge reaches the felony level, it leaves district court and goes to Pierce County Superior Court. Under RCW 46.61.502, a fourth or later DUI offense within ten years is a Class B felony. This applies to Graham residents just as it does to anyone else in the county.

Pierce County Superior Court is at the same address as the district court: 930 Tacoma Ave S, Tacoma, WA 98402. The superior court phone number is (253) 798-7440. Having both courts at the same address is convenient if you need records from both, or if a case has moved between courts.

A Class B felony DUI in Washington carries up to 10 years in state prison and up to a $20,000 fine. Actual sentencing follows the Washington Sentencing Reform Act, which uses a grid based on offense seriousness and prior criminal history. Prior DUI convictions weigh heavily in the calculation and push the recommended range upward.

Superior court records for Pierce County are available through the Odyssey portal at odysseyportal.courts.wa.gov. You can search by name or case number. The system shows docket events, hearings, and many filed documents. Some records require an in-person request at the clerk's office.

Searching Graham DUI Records Online

Pierce County District Court records are searchable at dw.courts.wa.gov. This is the statewide portal for district and municipal court records. Select Pierce County District Court, enter a name, date of birth, or case number, and search. Results show the charge, hearing dates, and case outcome.

Active cases may have restricted information. Closed cases show more complete records. If you need something that is not visible in the online system, call the district court clerk at (253) 798-3333. The clerk can tell you what is available, what requires a records request, and what fees apply.

Pierce County Superior Court records are at the Odyssey portal: odysseyportal.courts.wa.gov. Search by name or case number. You can see docket entries and hearing history. Some documents are available to view directly. Others are not posted online and require a request to the clerk at (253) 798-7440.

Copy fees apply to all court records. Certified copies cost $5 for the first page and $1 per additional page. Plain copies are $0.50 per page. To request records by mail, send a written request with the case number, subject's name and date of birth, document list, and payment to the appropriate clerk's office. Allow time for processing.

DUI Penalties in Washington State

Penalty rules for DUI in Washington are at RCW 46.61.5055. The statute sets mandatory minimums by offense number and BAC level. Court records reflect exactly which penalties were imposed.

First offense minimums: BAC under 0.15, 24 hours jail and $350 fine. BAC 0.15 or above, or test refusal: 48 hours jail and $500 fine. A 90-day license suspension applies in the first category. A one-year suspension applies if BAC was high or if the driver refused to test.

Second offense minimums: 30 days jail plus 60 days electronic home monitoring, $500 fine, two-year license suspension. Third offense: 90 days jail plus 120 days EHM, $1,000 fine, three-year license suspension. Courts also order mandatory alcohol and drug evaluation and treatment if recommended. Ignition interlock devices are required for varying lengths depending on offense number.

These are statutory floors. Judges in Pierce County have discretion to sentence above the minimums. A judge can consider aggravating factors like high speed, an accident, property damage, or injuries caused by the DUI. All of that appears in the sentencing record, which is public.

Financial penalties go beyond the base fines in the statute. Courts add penalty assessments and surcharges. Legal fees, treatment costs, interlock rental, and the cost of SR-22 insurance all add up. A first DUI can total several thousand dollars in real-world costs, even without jail time beyond the minimum.

DOL License Suspension: How It Works

A DUI arrest starts two separate processes. The court case is one. The DOL administrative action is the other. Both run at the same time, but they are handled by different agencies and follow different rules.

After an arrest, the arresting officer sends a report to the Washington Department of Licensing. The DOL reviews it and may suspend the driver's license. You have 20 days from the arrest date to request a hearing with the DOL to fight the suspension. This deadline is firm. Miss it and the suspension takes effect automatically on day 60.

First offense, test taken: 90-day suspension. First offense, test refused: one year. Second offense: two-year suspension. Reinstatement requires SR-22 high-risk insurance, a reinstatement fee, and often an ignition interlock requirement. More detail is at dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/duiresources.html.

DOL records are separate from court records. If you want to check the status of a license or a suspension, you go through the DOL directly. Court portals do not show license suspension status.

Other Records and Pierce County Resources

The Pierce County Sheriff's Office is the law enforcement agency for Graham. Arrest records, incident reports, and booking records are maintained by the sheriff's office. These documents are separate from court records. You can request copies through the sheriff's records unit. Police reports often contain more detail than what appears in the court docket, including officer observations, field sobriety test results, and BAC test readings.

Washington State Patrol has jurisdiction on state routes near Graham, including SR-7 and other highways in the area. If a DUI stop took place on a state highway, the WSP holds those records separately from the sheriff's office.

The Pierce County page on this site goes into more detail on county-level court resources, including additional court divisions and records access procedures. Pierce County is a large and active county court system, and the county page covers more of the specifics.

Legal help is available in Pierce County through the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association's referral line and through Northwest Justice Project. Washington Law Help at washingtonlawhelp.org has free guides that explain DUI procedures in plain terms, what rights you have at a traffic stop, and what to expect from the court process.