Category Archives: DUI
DUI Penalties in Virginia: Breaking it Down
Until around 1990, DUI laws in Virginia and most other states were quite weak. In fact, DUI was basically an enhanced traffic ticket. Furthermore, because of the way the law was worded, DUIs were hard to prove in court. For these reasons, DUI enforcement was weak as well. Today, things are different. The laws… Read More »
Watch Out for DUI Checkpoints
The number of fatal alcohol-related wrecks spikes over Labor Day Weekend. Largely for that reason, peace officers are usually out in force during this three-day weekend. Their show of force often includes DUI checkpoints. If they had their way, police officers would operate checkpoints every day of the year. But roadblocks are so costly… Read More »
What Do Cops Look For in a Field Sobriety Test?
When they administer the DUI eye test and other field sobriety tests, police officers look for clues that indicate intoxication. Usually, these clues are related to test performance or the ability to follow directions. Alcohol affects physical and mental abilities. Intoxicated persons cannot act or think straight. Although the science behind FST clues, and… Read More »
Finding the Right DUI Lawyer in Loudoun County
There’s no shortage of lawyers in Northern Virginia. In fact, the region has the highest number of lawyers per capita in the country. Almost all of them could handle a simple DUI case. However, there’s really no such thing as a simple DUI case. Unlike many other cases, DUIs usually involve legal, factual, and… Read More »
Evidence in a DUI-Drugs Offense in Loudoun County
Virginia has a very broad DUI-drug law. Section 18.2-266 applies to “any narcotic drug or any other self-administered intoxicant or drug of whatsoever nature” that “impairs his ability to drive or operate any motor vehicle, engine or train safely.” Any drug could mean caffeine or other food additives, or Sudafed or another over-the-counter medicine…. Read More »
Direct and Indirect DUI Penalties in Virginia
The combined direct and indirect costs of a DUI conviction often exceed $20,000. These aren’t long-term costs. Most of them are due within three years after the conviction. Failure to pay this money could result in even worse direct consequences, like long-term incarceration. The costs are even higher if any aggravating circumstances, like a… Read More »
Top Five DUI Enhancements in Virginia
Usually, prosecutors file the most aggressive charges the facts could possibly support, and DUI is no exception. Virginia law includes various DUI enhancements, some of which are discussed below. Usually, a Virginia DUI lawyer is much more concerned with the underlying offense than any attached enhancements. After all, if the underlying charge doesn’t hold… Read More »
Top Five DUI Checkpoint Requirements
The Bill of Rights protects people from government overreach. But some Constitutional protections, most notably the Fourth Amendment, don’t apply at DUI checkpoints. Because of this shortcut, most police departments would probably set up DUI roadblocks every weekend if they could. But checkpoints are very costly and usually rolled out during Memorial Day Weekend… Read More »
If I Took a Breathalyzer Test, Am I Automatically Guilty?
Of course not, although it might seem that way. The conviction rate in Breathalyzer cases is much higher than the conviction rate in non-test cases. Virginia, like most other states, has a per se DUI law. If the defendant’s BAC level was above the legal limit, the defendant was intoxicated as a matter of… Read More »
Should I Hire a DUI Lawyer?
Most people know the Miranda Rights line “You have the right to an attorney; if you cannot afford one, the court will appoint one for you.” Indeed , the Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to counsel in criminal cases. However, this provision in the Bill of Rights doesn’t guarantee a free lawyer. Most Loudoun… Read More »
