There are two different types of charges for drunk driving cases in the state of Maryland. They are based on the amount you have had to drink and they vary in severity of consequences.

You will be charged with driving under the influence (DUI) if your blood alcohol level (BAC) is .08 or greater. You will be charged with driving while impaired (DWI) if your BAC is at a level of .07.

When the police suspect you have been drinking, they will ask you to perform a field sobriety test to assess your reaction time, coordination, and reflexes. During this test, they will also evaluate you for other signs of intoxication, including:

· Slurred speech

· Watery eyes

· Scent of alcohol on breath

You will also be given a breathalyzer test to verify your BAC. Refusal to take a breath test comes with severe consequences. Your driver’s license will be suspended for a mandatory 120 day period, and your refusal to submit to the test will be used against you in court as an admission of guilt.

Consequences

In Maryland, the consequences for DUI and DWI vary in degree. For a DUI conviction, you will receive:

· Maximum $1,000 fine

· Up to one year in jail

· 45 day suspension of your license

· 12 points on your license

For a DWI conviction, you will receive:

· Maximum $500 fine

· Up to 60 days in jail

· Maximum 60 day suspension of your license

· 8 points on your driver’s license

Your insurance company will most likely take one of two actions when they are notified of your conviction. They will either drastically raise your rates or they will cancel your policy.

You Don’t Have to Lose Your License

The state of Maryland offers you a chance to appeal the suspension of your driver’s license. However, the police rarely inform you of this right and time is of the essence when appealing your suspension.

You have ten days to ask for a hearing with the Motor Vehicle Administration. Hiring an experienced DUI attorney will greatly help you at this hearing. It is not advisable to defend yourself. If you don’t file for your hearing within the allotted ten day time frame, your license will automatically be suspended.

Other Implications of your DUI

Your DUI conviction can affect your entire life. Your conviction will stay on your record for the rest of your life. Depending on your occupation, you may have trouble with employment. If you work in education, government, or medicine, you may lose your job. Furthermore, your DUI could prevent you from getting hired in these fields at a later date.

The best way to minimize the damage done by a DUI is to hire an attorney to represent you. Lawyers who specialize in DUI cases will know how to pick apart the evidence against you to help reduce your sentence. Considering the widespread impact on your life, you can’t afford to pass up this assistance.

About the Author:

If you have been charged with a DUI or DWI in the Baltimore, Annapolis, and Columbia, Maryland area, please contact the law firm of Jimeno & Gray today for an initial consultation.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Maryland Dwi Laws

If you are guilty of a DUI or DWI offense in Annapolis, you face a period of probation and a term of incarceration. You could face huge fines and stand the risk of having your driving license confiscated. You could also end up paying huge insurance premiums and face a possible loss of employment. All these are dire consequences.

However, the consequences you face depend on the legal expert you choose to defend yourself. A highly skilled and aggressive attorney can help you avoid these undesirable consequences.

Before you choose a DUI/DWI attorney in Annapolis, it is important to make sure that the lawyer has been trained and certified in DUI/DWI detection. They must also have sufficient knowledge and expertise in evaluating the proper conduct of field sobriety tests. Only such kind of extensive and in-depth knowledge can help you enjoy a more desirable outcome.

The government’s lookout is to get you arraigned as soon as possible. That is why you must hurry and find the right DUI/DWI attorney in Annapolis. Instead of retaining a defense attorney, employ a lawyer of your own. You could get help from friends or relatives, search through the Yellow Pages or even use the Internet to find a DUI/DWI attorney in Annapolis. In this way, you can equip yourself with a huge list of lawyers who have the potential to represent you.

However, all attorneys are not equal and if you want to protect your driving license, you need a lawyer who has sufficient experience and expertise in DUI/DWI cases in Annapolis. Only such an attorney knows enough about laws, rules and procedures. Such lawyers will also have some amount of rapport with bailiffs at court and the judges. They also enjoy access to many top experts in the fields of police procedures and field sobriety testing.

A good DUI/DWI attorney from Annapolis will not make any promises regarding the outcome. Doing so is not only unethical and illegal but it also amounts to giving clients false hopes about a situation that the lawyer cannot really predict. Even the best cases cannot be stated as won until the judge gives their sentence. However, good attorneys will have a history of victories and they would have bagged a fair share of positive outcomes.

It is important to choose a DUI/DWI attorney who is a member of prominent legal associations in Annapolis. Attorneys who are actively involved in such groups will be aware of the latest changes in legislation. Such knowledge has great value as it can impact the outcome of the case.

Lastly, before you hire, it is important to talk about the lawyer’s fee. You might want to shop around for competitive rates but the trick is to find someone who offers competitive rates combined with razor sharp skills and a wealth of experience.

About the Author:

Cochran, Cochran & Chhabra, LLC are experienced DUI attorneys with extensive knowledge of DUI law in Annapolis, Maryland.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Tips to choose a DUI/DWI Attorney in Annapolis

where can i find videos of drunk driving accidents that caused deaths or kust accidents.?

doing a prroject.

You could go to the schools and ask them.I know we watched some in school. Also you could go to Blockbuster they have some movies and I cant remember the names. I know it had the word fear in it.

Police Blotter: Jan. 21, 2010
Grass Valley Police Department Tuesday 8:39 a.m. – A woman called from a store on the 600 block of Freeman Lane after she ran in to pick something up and came back to find her keys locked in the vehicle while it was running. Her 18-month old baby was in the car as well. Officers arrived and were able to open the car’s door. 12:36 p.m. – Callers on McCourtney Road reported a man in a black …

What is the average price for DUI/DWI lawyers in Maryland?

I got a DUI/DWI in howard county Maryland. This is my first offense relating to any drunk driving charges. I am truly very sorry and never ever intend to get behind the wheel after this one. My BAC was .19, what are the average fees I am looking at to get out of this one?

Minimum of $1,000 for a decent attorney. $2,000 is pretty common and the best DUI attorneys can be $6,000. All of these numbers are assuming you do not go to trial.

There are many situations in which a police officer can pull a vehicle over and search it for illegal substances.  According to the fourth amendment a police officer is allowed to search the interior of a vehicle (including the glove compartment) if the operator of that vehicle has been pulled over for a traffic violation.  However, the trunk of the car can only be searched if the officer has probable cause to believe that there are illegal substances hidden there.  Impounded vehicles, on the other hand, can be totally searched and the contents catalogued for use in future court cases.

Example 1:  You have been pulled over for a minor traffic violation and the police officer sees a bag filled with an illicit substance on your passenger side seat.  The officer may then have probable cause to detain you and/or search your person and the rest of the vehicle including the trunk.

Example 2:  You have been pulled over without a driver’s license and your car has been impounded.  The police then search your car and find a bag of marijuana hidden in your trunk.  At this point you may be charged with possession of an illegal substance.

Example 3:  You have been pulled over for a DUI and the police officer asks you to step out of the car in order to perform a search on your person (a pat-down).  The officer finds methamphetamines in your pocket and you are then detained and your car impounded.

Example 4:  Your car is parked outside of a store that you’re in and a police officer chooses to look in your car window and sees drug paraphernalia in plain sight on the passenger-side seat.  The officer waits for you to come back to your car and performs a search of the rest of the vehicle.

Certainly, in all of these examples, the police had probable cause for a search and seizure.  However, many of these same situations are filled with issues that can be litigated.  It is up to you to find suitable representation so that these issues can be brought to the court’s attention as soon as possible.  Only a qualified Criminal Defense Attorney who specializes in drug-related crimes has the experience necessary to file the right motions with the court and ask the right questions of the police officers involved to generate these issues.

About the Author:

If you live in Maryland and you or a loved one has been charged with the possession of an illegal substance, please visit the website of Jimeno-Gray Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys today allow the attorneys to hear the details of your case.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Search and Seizure from Vehicle

The legislation requires the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) to now impose a one-year driver’s license suspension on a person convicted of either DUI (driving under the influence) or DWI (driving while impaired) more than once in a five-year period. The law allows the MVA to issue restricted licenses for the suspension period if the person participates in the Ignition Interlock System Program (IISP).

The IISP prohibits drivers from driving any vehicle not equipped with the ignition interlock system, and allows the person to drive only to and from school, to and from work or to and from an alcohol/drug treatment program and health care treatment

The legislature also increased the “look-back period”, doubling the length of time, from five to 10 years during which there can be no previous DUI related Probation Before Judgment dispositions in order for the Court to consider a PBJ in the instant case.

Under current Maryland law, drivers with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of between .04 and .08 are usually charged with DWI. Those with a BAC of .08 or higher are normally charged with DUI. A first-time DWI conviction means being faced with up to two months in jail, a $500 fine and a driver’s license suspension of 60 days. Penalties for a first-time DUI are more severe, including up to one-year in jail, up to a $1,000 fine and a 45-day or more driver’s license suspension.

A second DUI conviction increases the fine to $2,000, a one-year license suspension (followed by one-year of restricted driving privileges) and can mean up to two-years in jail. A second DWI conviction can cost up to $500 in fines and up to a one-year jail term.

The legislature also passed a bill increasing penalties for violating any alcohol restriction on a driver’s license. The misdemeanor violation is now punishable by a fine of $500 and two months in jail.

About the Author:

The Maryland criminal defense attorneys at the Law Office of Richard P. Arnold focus exclusively on defending people who have been accused of felony or misdemeanor crimes. Based in Greenbelt, attorney Arnold has successfully defended hundreds of DUI/DWI cases.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Maryland Legislature Passes New Drunk Driving Laws

Do (Maryland) police officers always have the right to give a breathalyzer test?

I know that under Maryland law, any person driving a car who gets pulled over has to submit to a breathalyzer test if requested. But is there any law that requires a person on the street to do so? We can assume that there is alcohol in the vicinity, but no direct evidence that the particular (underage) person has posession of any alcohol or has been drinking.

If the underage person is not driving … why would the officer need to use a breathalyzer?

All the breathalyzer will do is give the level of intoxication … not required for a minor in consumption conviction! The officer has reasonable suspicion, and can stop the person, question them (while doing so he’ll also get a smell of the subject’s breath). That’s all the officer needs to give a minor in consumption citation, the smell of alcohol on the person’s breath and proof that they are not 21 or over.

The officer does not need to prove measurable blood alcohol level, the officer does not need to prove intoxication. The breathalyzer would not be necessary in this case.

How hard is it for a first tie DUI offender to get a restricted license?

I am being charged with a DUI which I regret and have learned from. I hope to retain some rights to drive to and from work. I live in California. Is there a need to acquire attorney services to ensure I get this? I would like to just pay the fine, do my classes, serve the penalties and get on with life (and never drink and drive again.)

you can get a restrictede license, but it is much easier to do with the assistance from a lawyer.