Category: DUI

Hiring a DUI Lawyer

Men and women deal with DUI everyday! Is time for you to hire a lawyer. While these attorneys can be expensive, you are going to need them if you want to have better odds of winning your case. The reason is that this professional will have the knowledge and expertise to represent you and in some cases they can have all charges dropped. In the rare occurrence there will be a conviction; this professional will help you to reduce your sentence and fines, while even having some charges still dropped from your record. As soon as you are charged with a DUI, you should be hiring an attorney.

How to Choose a DUI Specialist – Although you might feel it is best to hire the cheapest lawyer you can find, it won’t be the wisest move you can make. A better choice will be to look through all the attorneys who specialize in this type of case. After all, generalists will have a basic understanding of the law, while a specialist would know all the laws that will keep you safe, thanks to their years of experience.

Building a Strong Defense – Today, there is more pressure to prosecute those charged with drunk driving. When you have the right attorney on hand, they will be able to point out the inappropriate actions of anyone involved. This can help you to avoid a sentence that you might have been wrongfully charged with. Even if you think you are innocent, you will find that the legal process may not be on your side. Thankfully, these professionals know what to look for and how to use the legal system in an effort to protect you.

When the Numbers Are against You – Even when you know what your blood alcohol level was, or when you know you failed a sobriety test in the field, it doesn’t mean all hope is lost. While many people assume this means an instant conviction, you will find that your attorney will know what to look for in these tests. If something wasn’t done according to standard procedure, they can begin to poke holes in the case of the prosecution and that could mean you are able to see charges reduced you might otherwise face.

Between states the DUI laws will vary. In some areas of the country, they may even be known by different names, such as a DWI. An attorney from any area you are charged in will know the local laws and can help you to work through your case in that location. This reduces the risk of a wrongful conviction and even helps to boost your overall odds.

Reducing Penalties – As DUI laws become stricter, the penalties they are coupled with become more severe. In some cases, a first offense can result in the loss of a license and that can lead to a negative impact on your life, including the loss of a job. If you are a habitual offender in the eyes of the court, you can face a felony that will include losing some of your rights, such as the right to vote. Because the consequences are so severe, you will want to ensure that you hire the right people to keep you protected when you are facing these charges.

When you have an attorney with legal knowledge in this area, you can ensure that your risks are minimized. They will be able to reduce the risk of conviction, while helping to ensure that some items never hit your record. If you were to instead beg for mercy from the court, you would find that most courts have no mercy when it comes to a DUI.

When you choose a qualified DUI lawyer, you are taking steps to protect yourself. That way you avoid extreme punishments and charges. Even if you don’t think you will win, they can help you to make it out of a bad situation. No one wants to lose freedom, or even their way of life form a DUI conviction. Because of this, ensure you have the best possible representation in court.

Texting and Driving – The New Drunk Driving

In recent years, many people have become increasingly aware of the hazards of imbibing in alcohol and then driving. This is mainly because of the efforts of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and other similar organizations. All of us should know by now it is not only illegal to drink and drive, but it is also dangerous. Sadly, when we finally realize this problem, a new issue has now come up in the 21st century, people texting when they are driving.It was not too long ago that cellular phones were only for the wealthy. Today, they have become so affordable that even little kids carry one. No one can dispute the fact that cellular phones have made it easier to communicate with one another in fact, it may just be a bit too easy today. Today, we can even text or call people when we are traveling in our cars, and this sometimes endangers the drivers or others.According to The Ryder Law Firm (ryderlaw.com), texting while driving has compared to drunk driving by many. The data gathered so far backs up this comparison. The truth is that texting and driving at the same time could be more hazardous than drunk driving! In spite of many of the states having banned the use of handheld phones while driving, about 25% of the drivers admit to conversing on their mobile phones on a routine basis while driving as far as information gathered by the CDC (Center of Disease Control and Prevention). The percentage is about 40% for those in the 18 – 29 year old bracket, and this is also the group that does the most texting.

The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) issued a report stating that a driver looks away from the road for about 4.6 seconds on average to receive or send a single text message. To give a visual to this, think about driving blindfolded across an entire football field from goal post to goal post at expressway speeds. What is the comparison facts about texting and driving compared to the drunk driving? We turn to the Car and Driver magazine’s experts to learn more about these facts.

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Women and DUI Stats

Men are most commonly arrested with far greater frequency for DUI than women. in recent years  the number of arrests of women for DUI has increased significantly; 36% over the past decade. These figures are not just general estimations. They are based on analytical research performed by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation.

This study also revealed that the average woman who is arrested for drunk driving is older than males arrested for the same violation. Curiously, the education level of the women is much higher and they are known for being the primary caregiver of their children. These facts alone may be enough to shatter more than a few of the common stereotypes about those who are arrested for DUI’s.

The study points out there are many women who care for their children and suffer from alcohol dependency. However, the amount of alcohol they drink during the day may not seem significant enough to be a problem so they do not assume they have issues with alcohol. Of course, it is not the amount of alcohol that determines whether one has a problem. Rather, it is the impact the consumption has on one’s behavior. A women having two or three glasses of wine per day may not see the amount as problematic but if it leads to impaired driving then it certainly is a problem.

In some instances, the amount of alcohol a woman may drink per day is very obviously a dangerously high volume. However, the woman may have convinced herself she is not drinking to excess and no substance abuse issue exists. Such denial of a substance abuse issue will frequently lead to errors in judgment such as getting behind the wheel of a vehicle intoxicated.

The safety risks and the legal ramifications inherent in such behavior do little to deter the actions. This is why the condition of alcoholism is a serious one and the crime of DUI is equally serious.

‘Reservoir Dogs’ actor Michael Madsen arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in Malibu

Oh great, another drunk actor on the road. I’d stay off the road in LA and Malibu after dark. Read More

Finding a DUI Lawyer in Alabama

If you have been charged with a DUI (Driving Under the Influence) in the state of Alabama, a vital decision on the selection on who it is who will defend you in court must eventually be made. A DUI conviction can have a tremendously negative impact on your life. In addition to the risk of incarceration, you will also face severe fines and court costs along with a criminal record and perennially high car insurance premiums and, possibly, even being disqualified from job opportunities if your conviction has been revealed. if you have not been required to hire an Alabama DUI lawyer before, you will probably have no idea what to do. Through following a number of basic steps, you might be able to find the perfect Alabama DUI lawyer for your case and he/she can then take the steps to build an appropriate defense. Here’s the short list:

  1. Get Referrals from Others
  2. Check with The State Bar of Alabama
  3. Check em out on the Net-Look at Lawyer Homepages
  4. Making a Short List
  5. Take the Time to Prepare for Your Consultation
  6. Interview the Individual Lawyers
  7. Make a Final Decision

I just ran out of time so more on this later. For practically all the information you could possibly ever need on DUI in Alabama, Check out The DUI Handbook by Phillip Price (http://www.alabamaduiattorney.com/dui-lawyer/phillip-b-price-sr).

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