The defense of your case if you have been charged with DWI or DUI hinges on the justification for the stop, the probable cause for the arrest, and the outcome—or lack thereof—of the breathalyzer or blood test. Our DUI lawyers successfully finished the 24-hour DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Student Course offered by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) and International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in September 2013. Police officers undergo similar training before they are permitted to make alcohol-related arrests.
Many people's first run-in with the law is an arrest for drunk driving. If you have been charged with DUI or DWI, you might believe that your only option is to enter a guilty plea and agree to your punishment. However, you may have other choices. Don't attempt it alone. For timely, proactive legal assistance, contact Zide Law Group in Glen Burnie, Maryland.
When you are accused of driving while intoxicated, the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) starts the process of suspending your license. You have 30 days from the date of your arrest to request an administrative hearing to contest the license suspension. You might lose your license in one of these MVA hearings before you ever realize it's your turn to speak, and they can be sudden.
At the administrative hearing, we speak on your behalf. Our criminal defense attorneys are adept at spotting defenses that can spare you from or lessen the length of your driver's license suspension since we are aware of the factors the MVA weighs. Do not attend the hearing without an experienced DUI lawyer.
When you are stopped for drunk driving, the charges you will likely face depend on both how well you pass on the required field sobriety tests and how much alcohol is found in your system. A DUI conviction can result in a significant number of points being assessed to your license, as well as penalties, jail time, and the suspension or revocation of your license. Similar consequences apply when someone is caught driving while impaired by drugs.
If your blood alcohol content (BAC) is found to be in the range of .02% to .07%, you may be charged with driving while impaired (DWI). You may also be arrested under this charge if you refuse to take a breath test and the police officer has other reasons to believe that you are impaired by drugs or alcohol. If you are convicted of DWI, you may face-
A BAC of .08 or higher leads to the more serious charge of driving under the influence (DUI). Penalties for a DUI conviction include-
If you are convicted of driving under the influence of drugs, the penalties are as severe as those for a DUI:
Subsequent convictions lead to much more harsh penalties, including longer license suspensions as well as up to three years in jail. If you have previously been convicted of DUI or DWI, you have an even greater need of experienced assistance from a criminal defense lawyer.
With over a decade of experience defending DUI or DWI charges, our criminal defense lawyers understand the Maryland legal system and have developed many defense strategies to protect your freedom. We review the evidence carefully and challenge the circumstances of your arrest:
Let us reduce your stress by helping you fight your criminal drunk driving charges.
For a free initial consultation about your drunk driving charges in Glen Burnie or elsewhere in Maryland, call Robert Siegel at Zide Law Group or contact us online.