Legal Question in Criminal Law in Washington

Re: How soon after a misdemeanor must you be notified if charges are to be press

The statute of limitations requires that a prosecuting authority file charges within one year of misdemeanor violation date.

If a person is arrested and booked on a misdemeanor, charges must be filed within 72 hours to hold a defendant in custody. If charges are not filed within 72 hours, the defendant must be released without conditions. The prosecutor will have one year in which to file charges.

Your options

My first answer responded only to the subject line.

You will either have to appear for arraignment or forfeit bail of $500. Failure to appear will likely result in the issuance of a (non extraditable) warrant. It would seem that the bail forfeiture would be the most sensible option. You would likely spend more that that amount traveling to court or hiring an attorney.

Technically, a bail forfeiture is not a criminal convcition; however, it will appear on your criminal history.

You can retain an attorney to enter a plea for you. An attorney may be able to resolve the case without requiring you to appear in court. An attorney would also be more effective in trying to get the charge dismissed.