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46.61.504
Physical control of vehicle under the influence.
(1) A person is guilty of being in actual
physical control of a motor vehicle while under the
influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug if the
person has actual physical control of a vehicle
within this state:
(a) And the person has, within two hours after
being in actual physical control of the vehicle, an
alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher as shown by
analysis of the person's breath or blood made under
RCW 46.61.506; or
(b) While the person is under the influence of
or affected by intoxicating liquor or any drug; or
(c) While the person is under the combined
influence of or affected by intoxicating liquor and
any drug.
(2) The fact that a person charged with a
violation of this section is or has been entitled to
use a drug under the laws of this state does not
constitute a defense against any charge of violating
this section. No person may be convicted under this
section if, prior to being pursued by a law
enforcement officer, the person has moved the
vehicle safely off the roadway.
(3) It is an affirmative defense to a violation
of subsection (1)(a) of this section which the
defendant must prove by a preponderance of the
evidence that the defendant consumed a sufficient
quantity of alcohol after the time of being in
actual physical control of the vehicle and before
the administration of an analysis of the person's
breath or blood to cause the defendant's alcohol
concentration to be 0.08 or more within two hours
after being in such control. The court shall not
admit evidence of this defense unless the defendant
notifies the prosecution prior to the omnibus or
pretrial hearing in the case of the defendant's
intent to assert the affirmative defense.
(4) Analyses of blood or breath samples
obtained more than two hours after the alleged being
in actual physical control of a vehicle may be used
as evidence that within two hours of the alleged
being in such control, a person had an alcohol
concentration of 0.08 or more in violation of
subsection (1)(a) of this section, and in any case
in which the analysis shows an alcohol concentration
above 0.00 may be used as evidence that a person was
under the influence of or affected by intoxicating
liquor or any drug in violation of subsection (1)(b)
or (c) of this section.
(5) Except as provided in subsection (6) of
this section, a violation of this section is a gross
misdemeanor.
(6) It is a class C felony punishable under
chapter 9.94A RCW, or chapter 13.40 RCW if the
person is a juvenile, if: (a) The person has four or
more prior offenses within ten years as defined in
RCW 46.61.5055; or
(b) the person has ever previously been convicted of
vehicular homicide while under the influence of
intoxicating liquor or any drug,
RCW 46.61.520(1)(a),
or vehicular assault while under the influence of
intoxicating liquor or any drug,
RCW 46.61.522(1)(b). |