Criminal Defense Attorneys in Yakima, WA

A DUI stop or a drug charge in Yakima County can carry lasting consequences, and the first hearing comes quickly. A Washington-licensed criminal defense attorney in Yakima will review your charges for free.

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How we match your Yakima criminal defense case

When you submit a Yakima criminal defense matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A criminal defense matter needs someone who handles criminal defense work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under Washington law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Washington who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

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Criminal Defense cases in Yakima

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Yakima sees a steady criminal docket driven by traffic and DUI enforcement along I-82 and Yakima Avenue, downtown incidents, and drug and property cases across the valley. Felonies are prosecuted in Yakima County Superior Court, while misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors are handled in Yakima County District Court or the city's municipal court depending on where the alleged offense occurred. Some matters, particularly larger drug or firearms cases, can be charged federally instead. Early decisions about statements and hearings shape everything after. DearLegal matches you with a Washington-licensed attorney who handles criminal defense cases in Yakima, with a free review.

Felony charges go to Yakima County Superior Court; misdemeanors are heard in county district court or Yakima Municipal Court.
DUI and traffic enforcement on I-82 and major city arterials generates a large volume of local cases.
Charges filed in Kittitas, Benton, or Klickitat County proceed in those counties' courts, and some cases are prosecuted federally in Washington's Eastern District.

Washington criminal defense rules at a glance

Yakima cases run under Washington law. The full walkthrough — timeline, when to call, case types, and what a recovery can include — is on the Washington page.

Read the full Washington criminal defense guide →

Felony Statute of Limitations: None
None for murder, homicide by abuse, vehicular homicide, arson causing death, sex-offender registration violations, child rape, or child molestation; 10 years for most Class A felonies, 6 for Class B, 3 for Class C (RCW 9A.04.080)
Misdemeanor Statute of Limitations: 2 years
2 years for gross misdemeanors, 1 year for simple misdemeanors (RCW 9A.04.080(1)(j))
Sentencing Structure: Flat fee
Class A/B/C felonies and gross/simple misdemeanors (RCW 9A.20.021); SRA grid sentencing by Offender Score and Seriousness Level (RCW 9.94A); Persistent Offender three-strikes life sentence (RCW 9.94A.570); firearm enhancements add flat time (RCW 9.94A.533)
Expungement / Record Sealing: Washington vacates
Washington vacates rather than expunges: misdemeanor vacation under RCW 9.96.060 after waiting periods (longer for DV and DUI-related offenses), Class B/C felony vacation under RCW 9.94A.640 after 10/5 crime-free years, Certificates of Restoration of Opportunity under RCW 9.97, plus Blake vacatur for old simple-possession convictions
Bail / Pretrial Release: CrR 3.2
CrR 3.2 presumes release on personal recognizance; right to bail under Wash. Const. Art. I, § 20 with limited exceptions; cash-bail practice varies sharply by county
Typical attorney fee: Hourly
Hourly / Flat Fee

Exhibit D

How much do Yakima criminal defense attorneys cost?

Typical fee schedule

Washington · Criminal Defense

Fee modelHourly / Flat Fee

Feequoted per petition or matter

Filing costsitemized upfront

Case reviewFree

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Criminal Defense matters in Washington are usually a flat fee per filing — quoted before you commit, not billed by the hour.

No Washington lawyer can take a criminal case on contingency — Wash. RPC 1.5(d), echoing ABA Model Rule 1.5(d), forbids it. Expect a flat fee for misdemeanors and most felonies, with hourly billing for federal, homicide, and complex white-collar matters. If you cannot afford counsel, the King County Department of Public Defense, the Pierce County Department of Assigned Counsel, the Snohomish County Public Defender, and their counterparts across the state's 39 counties represent indigent defendants.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

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Exhibit F

Yakima criminal defense questions, answered

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Superior Court handles felony prosecutions, while district and municipal courts handle misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors, including most DUI cases. Which court you are in affects potential penalties and the process. An attorney can explain the charge level and what the court expects at each stage.

You are not required to answer questions, and statements made early are frequently the strongest evidence prosecutors use later. Politely declining and asking for a lawyer does not make you look guilty. Speak with an attorney before giving any account of what happened.

It happens regularly, through suppression of evidence, problems with the stop or search, diversion programs, or negotiated reductions. The realistic outcome depends on the charge, your record, and the strength of the state's proof. An attorney can review the discovery and tell you what options actually exist.

It is the number that prices your case. Washington scores your criminal history — most felony priors add points, some count double, some "wash out" after enough crime-free years — and the grid crosses that score against the Seriousness Level of the current charge to set your standard range. Prosecutors and defense lawyers argue about scoring constantly because one disputed point can move the range by years. Verifying that every prior was scored correctly, and that washed-out or unconstitutional convictions were excluded, is some of the highest-value work a defense attorney does in this state.

Quite possibly erased it. In 2021 the Washington Supreme Court held the felony simple-possession statute unconstitutional, which made every conviction under it void — eligible for vacatur, refunds of legal financial obligations, and recalculation of Offender Scores on other sentences that counted those convictions. If you are serving or have served a sentence inflated by a Blake-affected prior, resentencing may be available. The current law (RCW 69.50.4011) treats simple possession as a misdemeanor-level offense with diversion to services built in — a completely different world from the old felony.