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

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

My friend got a drunk driving in california he decided to get an attorney she did not represent him well?

He has MS (multiple scorosis) and the attorney even though LJ never wants any special treatment because of his disability tried to play that card on the judge now he has given her 3500 and he is dissatisfied with his representation I want to know if he can appeal and how can he get his money back from the lousy lawyer?

The fee was excessive. Lousy or good lawyer is not going to return a fee. If he wants to invest more money, he can hire a lawyer to file motion for new hearing, based on first lawyer’s incompetency. Small chance of winning, however.

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