Monthly Archives - September 2011

Driving Under the Influence

Road accidents are among the leading causes of death in America.  It was also found out that during such incidents, the driver is either drunk or is under the influence of drugs and other forms of intoxications.  For this reason, the government created a law that will penalize drunk drivers.  This law is commonly known as DUI.  In California, DWI laws are highly observed and violators can lose their licenses, pay fines, and get convicted and imprisoned for breaking DUI laws. What is DUI? You must be very familiar with DUI.  But to give you some factual information about this law, DUI refers to driving under influence.  It also means driving under intoxication or drink-driving.  But in most states, DUI also covers intoxication from drugs.  DUI is also called DWI so if you hear or see this acronym, it also refers to the same thing (only that it stands for driving while intoxicated).  You must remember that violating DUI laws is a criminal offense and therefore, there are penalties and imprisonment waiting for you if it will be proven that indeed, you disobeyed the law. Who can arrest DUI violators? Police officers are tasked to catch violators.  The drunk-driving symptoms often include over speeding and not following street regulations.  Some drivers seem to be in a race or doing some tailgating.  Once the police officers suspect a driver driving under the influence, he would be pulled over and ordered to stop.  The initial arrests include making use of alcohol tests or breathalyzers (BACs) and other FSTs.  The driver may also be asked to walk on a white line using only one foot.  The findings of the police officers are admissible in court.  The driver may be detained if its very evident that he/she is under the influence. DUI Attorney Finding a credible San Diego lawyer law firm is a good start for the defendant.  If you are charged of violating DUI laws, you should contact an attorney immediately.  If you know no one, you can ask referrals from friends or family members.  The lawyer will be the one to build a reasonable defense that will help defend you from penalties that authorities may impose on you.

DUI Defense Strategies you MUST Know

DUI violations are very common nowadays especially with young adults.  Police officers are always on the lookout for violators and it is their job to find and to have those people penalized.  In California, the state has a very strict policy on DUI.  If you have been charged for violating this law, then you should find a drunk driving defense lawyer as early as possible. Lack of probable cause for filing DUI violation case Cops are everywhere on roads, streets, and highways.  They can arrest violators when they think that the driver is under the influence.  This can be derived from the negligent performance of the driver.  It could be from speeding, not stopping at crosswalks or pedestrians, not using lights, not following signal lights, ect.  However, these actuation's may not just be blamed on intoxication.  There are other reasons why the driver is not performing well on the road.  It could be that he/she is not feeling well or in great physical pain or suffering from nausea and hurrying to go home.  It could be that the driver wasn't able to get enough sleep and rest.  The violator may also point out that there's something wrong with the engine.  These and other more reasons may be used to be exempted from DUI penalties.  If you have been arrested because of DUI you may still need a DUI defense lawyer to prove that you were not in the influence during that time. Defense against Field Sobriety Test results Once the officers ordered you to stop, they usually make use of some devices called breathalyzers to check whether you are intoxicated or not.  You must understand that it's not illegal to drive under the influence with alcohol in your system.  The law provides for a certain limit on the person's level of intoxication when driving.  Police officers make use of Field Sobriety Test (FST) to know if you consumed alcohol beverage before driving.  But, the catch here is that this test is not a mere proof that you are indeed intoxicated.  A good San Diego DUI lawyer may be able to  invalidate such intoxication results.  Moreover, breathalyzers and other FST devices are not always accurate and dependable. Though it's difficult to prove, a well-experienced San Diego DUI lawyer can help you build a DUI defense strategies which may free you from penalties.