Each year, state and federal governments – along with grassroots activists and non-profits – look for ways to reduce the number of drunk drivers on the roads. They do this legislation, through tougher laws for DUI offenses, by setting up check stops, and more. The latest effort is a new piece of vehicle technology: alcohol detection sensors. The government is working on legislation that will require alcohol detection sensors in every new vehicle. These sensors [...]

Nobody wants an arrest – or charge, or conviction – for driving under the influence (DUI). We go to great lengths to avoid it, from assigning a designated driver to staying sober to calling a rideshare instead. What if these options fall through and you are left alone with your vehicle? You certainly do not want to leave it to chance, so you put your keys in your pocket and decide to “sleep it off” [...]

A DUI charge can derail and complicate your life in multiple ways. From high fines to substantial time behind bars, to the potentially loss of your employment, this is not a charge to brush off. Officers often decide to make arrests based on what they deem are the results of field sobriety tests. This means people can find themselves facing a DUI charge even when they should not be. Being charged, however, is not the [...]

A DUI (Driving Under the Influence) or a DWI (Driving While Impaired) conviction in Maryland has serious consequences. The level of seriousness holds true whether the conviction is based on a DUI, where your blood alcohol content (BAC) is .08 or more, or your conviction is based on a DWI, where your BAC is lower, but there are other impairment factors. If you’re charged with a DUI/DWI, you may also be charged with the following [...]

When charged for driving under the influence (DUI) in Maryland, you may be facing penalties like fines, a suspended license, jail, or an ignition interlock device. You might feel overwhelmed and hopeless about your case. However, you may have another option, especially if this is your first offense. The “Probation Before Judgment” (PBJ) disposition can provide eligible individuals charged with DUI offenses another, more rehabilitative path. Probation Before Judgment is a disposition unique to Maryland [...]

Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is not only dangerous; it is against the law in Maryland. If you are caught, you can be charged with a DUI and face the loss of your rights, significant fines, and potentially even jail time. Often, people share misinformation about drinking and driving, and that misinformation can lead people to make dangerous and costly mistakes. Today, we wanted to address some of the more common [...]

Blood alcohol content level (BAC) is the measuring stick for determining whether a driver is considered impaired. The legal limit across the country is 0.08%, which means that you will undoubtedly be arrested and charged with DUI when your BAC reaches that percentage or higher levels. Despite the laws stating 0.08% as the legal limit, a driver can be arrested and charged with DUI if he or she has any percentage above 0.00%. For example, [...]

Usually, when one hears the term “DUI arrest,” it is assumed the driver was under the influence of alcohol. However a DUI or DWI (driving while intoxicated) charge can also involve the consumption one of numerous types of substances that have the ability to impair the driving skills of an individual. In Maryland, you can face DUI/DWI charges for driving under the influence of drugs, whether illegal, prescription, or over-the-counter. Drugs affect individuals in different [...]

When you get pulled over for DUI in Maryland, the police officer will likely ask you to step out of the car and perform a series of field sobriety tests. He or she may also ask you to breathe into a little machine. Then, if you are taken to the police station, you may be asked to breathe into a completely different machine. This is because in Maryland, drivers suspected of being under the influence [...]

Driving under the influence is a serious criminal charge. If convicted, individuals face significant fines, loss of driving privileges, and time spent in jail. The seriousness with which the state of Maryland considers these offenses is reflected in its recent announcement – through the Department of Transportation in the state – that it will participate in a Learning Collaborative designed to tackle the problem of drunk driving statewide and reduce its occurrence. The state of [...]