Reader’s Question:

Is there a way that I can avoid serving time in jail after my DUI arrest here in Bowie, Maryland?

Frank

Bowie, MD

A DUI arrest could mean paying hefty fines, having a suspended driver’s license and even serving time in jail. If you are facing a DUI charge in Bowie, Maryland, you have to hire the best lawyer you can afford and make sure that the lawyer has experience handling DUI cases. A lawyer who specializes in DUI arrests would know the legal loopholes and defense strategies to help you avoid jail. You also have to know the laws because each state has different DUI laws and they are constantly changing.

You also might want to attend a treatment program and DUI school. You can avoid jail time in Maryland by participating in various programs. You would also have to challenge even the smallest details of your DUI arrest. Small technicalities could spell out the difference between community service and serving a prison sentence. Also, remember that your pocket can also suffer if you get convicted. Not only that you have to pay fines and have jail time, a DUI can also have an impact on your car insurance so you have to do everything to avoid a DUI conviction.

Tags: car insurance, DUI, DUI arrest, DUI conviction, DUI penalties

Reader’s Question:

My cousin wanted to get a lawyer to help him on his DUI charge here in Bethesda, Maryland but he’s worried it’s expensive to hire one. How would he decide whether or not to pay for a DUI lawyer?

Hazel

Bethesda, MD

Private lawyers charge anywhere between $5,000 and $15,000 or more to represent someone charged with a misdemeanor DUI so it’s understandable that your cousin is pretty much worried about the cost of a DUI lawyer to help him on his DUI charge in Bethesda, Maryland. The aforementioned amount also does not include what they charge additionally for trial. Your cousin needs to save himself some expense by evaluating his own DUI case to see if he needs a lawyer or if he’d just be paying the lawyer to get same deal that he can get on his own.

Your cousin needs to check his Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) because if he was tested to have more than 0.08%, that’s the reason why he was charged with DUI. But even if he was tested to have a BAC lower than 0.08%, the DA may prove that he was under the influence or he had impaired driving. He needs to be aware that if his BAC was 0.10% or more, his chance of getting the charges reduced is slim to none regardless if he has a lawyer. Remember that he would also have higher chances of getting increased rates on his car insurance because of his DUI charge and a lawyer could help him on that. You could tell him to get a free quote from this website if he is not yet insured or planning to switch companies.

Tags: car insurance, DUI, DUI lawyer, DUI lawyer cost

Reader’s Question:

How do I choose the right auto insurance company after I have been dropped by my previous provider because of my DUI charge here in Dundalk, Maryland?

Jason

Dundalk, MD

Choosing the right auto insurance company after you have been dropped by your previous insurer because of your DUI charge in Dundalk, Maryland can be a challenging task. There are some points that you have to remember when selecting an auto insurance company. The first thing that you have to make sure is that the insurance company is licensed in the state of Maryland because not every company is licensed to operate in each state. If the insurance company is licensed in Maryland, you can then rely on the state insurance department to help if there is a problem.

The other thing that you would have to consider is the price because there are a lot of companies that sell auto insurance policies and their prices vary greatly from one another. It would pay to shop around and get at least three price quotes from agents, companies and Internet. You may start your search for the right auto insurance company by getting free online premium quotes from this website.

Tags: auto insurance, auto insurance quotes, DUI

Reader’s Question:

I heard that here in Towson, Maryland, you can avoid going to county jail if you are convicted for DUI by having some sort of other punishments like highway cleanup. How true is this and would there be any other alternative for jail?

Lina

Towson, MD

If someone is sentenced to jail for the crime of DUI in Towson, Maryland, or anywhere in Maryland for that matter, there are other alternatives to going to county jail. This is called alternative sentencing and examples of this are highway cleanup, community service, electronic monitoring, drug rehabilitation/sober living environments and work release.

The highway cleanup is more physically demanding work, such as picking up trash by the side of the freeway. This may seem a tough work but at least you can go home afterwards, take a shower, eat a good meal and sleep in your own bed with not unwanted roommates. Community service is working in a court-approved program and electronic monitoring means wearing an ankle bracelet which detects alcohol consumption by monitoring excretions from the skin. Drug rehabilitation/sober living environments is a program for those who are struggling with drug or alcohol addiction. The work release is a dorm-like setting wherein the participants go to work during the day and return at night by a specified time. In general, weekends are spent in the work release environment as well since the only allowable release is for work.

Tags: DUI, DUI lawyer, DUI penalties

Reader’s Question:

My father has a federal DUI case here in Gaithersburg, Maryland and he refused the chemical test when he was arrested. Is it true that she is facing additional consequences because of his chemical test refusal?

Vern

Gaithersburg, MD

Yes, it’s true, since your father refused to chemical testing on his federal DUI case in Gaithersburg, Maryland, he may face additional consequences. Motorists on federally owned land are subject to federal implied consent law which means that anyone on suspicion for DUI should submit to a breath, blood or urine test to determine the blood alcohol content (BAC).

Refusing to submit to a chemical test is a misdemeanor under the Code of Federal Regulations and it carries a penalty of up to six months in federal prison, a fine or both. The motorist could be denied driving privileges on federal lands for one year, starting on the date of the DUI arrest. Federal DUI case is a serious charge that could result in paying fines, serving time in jail, or both so it is very important for your father to have a lawyer who is experienced in handling DUI charges. A criminal defense lawyer who has knowledge about federal DUI defense would fight hard to minimize or even eliminate the consequences of a DUI arrest on federal land.

Tags: blood alcohol content, blood alcohol test, DUI, DUI arrest, DUI lawyer

Reader’s Question:

My sister would have to do community service and drug rehabilitation/sober living environments because she was convicted for her DUI case in Columbia, Maryland. What does she have to do with that and how do those programs work?

Kenneth

Columbia, MD

Community service and drug rehabilitation/sober living environments are two of the alternative DUI sentencing programs in the state of Maryland. Instead of going to jail, your sister would just have to do the conditions of the programs as part of her conviction for her DUI charge in Columbia, Maryland. In doing the community service, she would have to work in an approved program to substitute for her jail time or fines. Community service is commonly not hard physical labor, and it would be particularly desirable for someone with injuries or other limitations.

When ordered as a condition of release pending the resolution of the DUI case or as part of a DUI sentence, drug rehabilitation/sober living environments offer an attractive alternative to serving time in jail for those who are struggling with alcohol or drug addiction. The time spent in the rehabilitation could count as time spent in jail, but it would likely require the efforts of a DUI attorney to make sure that the proper credits are awarded.

Tags: DUI, DUI conviction, DUI lawyer, DUI penalties

Reader’s Question:

I was told that my brother could have alternative sentencing like the electronic monitoring if he gets convicted for his DUI case in Silver Spring, Maryland. May I ask you to please explain to me what electronic monitoring is and what can it do for my brother?

Barbie

Spring, MD

If your brother is convicted for his DUI charge in Silver Spring, Maryland and sentenced to jail, he does not necessarily have to go to jail. In the state of Maryland, there are certain alternatives to having to go to county jail. The alternatives that are available would vary from county to county, and even court to court within a given county. But an experienced DUI defense attorney would be familiar with these options and would be your best hope to negotiate one that meets your needs best.

One of the programs on the alternative sentencing is the electronic monitoring wherein your brother would have to wear an ankle bracelet, with or without sensor that detects alcohol consumption by monitoring excretions from the skin. Electronic monitoring programs are said to offer flexibility by allowing the person to leave his/her home at authorized times including work, grocery shopping, religious services, alcohol education programs, etc.

Tags: drunk driving laws, DUI, DUI lawyer, DUI penalties

Reader’s Question:

Is it true that I will be facing a federal charge in case I get arrested for DUI here in Baltimore, Maryland?

Cole

Baltimore, MD

Most of the DUI cases in the state of Maryland are prosecuted in the state district court, but DUI arrests that occur on federally owned land are prosecuted in federal court. A lot of drivers arrested for DUI in certain locations like Baltimore-Washington Parkway and all military installations, are surprised to know that they are facing charges in federal court. These types of DUI cases are extremely complex and should be handled by a DUI lawyer with experience defending federal DUI charges.

The location of a federal drunk driving case would determine the laws that are applied. Under the Assimilated Crimes Act, there are certain offenses that are committed on federal lands that are prosecuted under the laws of the state where the arrest took place. Some other cases would be prosecuted under the federal law. So always be careful when driving in Baltimore, Maryland, especially if you had something to drink. Better yet, don’t drink and drive so you won’t be charged with a federal offense if you get caught drunk driving.

Tags: drunk driving laws, DUI, DUI arrest, DUI lawyer

Reader’s Question:

My daughter was given a test she mentioned as the preliminary breath test when she was arrested for DUI here in Wheaton-Glenmont, Maryland. What is this test and what are its possible flaws?

Lashawn

Wheaton-Glenmont, MD

The preliminary breath test (PBT) that was given to your daughter when she was arrested for DUI in Wheaton-Glenmont, Maryland is simply a hand-held breath test. This is usually part of the field sobriety testing conducted by police officers in a DUI investigation.

There are certain administrative agency rules concerning the use of the preliminary breath test. Obviously, if these rules are not followed, there could be possible flaws in the use of the device. The preliminary breath test could not have a systematic error exceeding 10%. Of course, this would call into doubt any blood alcohol content reading of 0.08%. Furthermore, the test should be maintained pursuant to the manufacturer’s procedures and instructions. If you ask the officer what these procedures are, what type of device or PBT was used and if the officer answers he doesn’t know, that means the government doesn’t comply with the rule. The PBT doesn’t have any evidentiary exceptions to basic rules of evidence as does the official test after the DUI arrest.

Tags: blood alcohol content, breath test, DUI, DUI lawyer

Reader’s Question:

I have a friend here in Bowie, Maryland who told me that there could be other factors that cause nystagmus if a person would take the horizontal gaze nystagmus test. Aside from intoxication, what are the other causes of nystagmus?

Randall

Bowie, MD

As found in different studies, there could be other factors that cause nystagmus aside from intoxication. Conditions such as motion sickness, eyestrain, hypertension, glaucoma, changes in atmospheric pressure, sunstroke and eye muscle fatigue could result in gaze nystagmus. The consumption of common substances such as nicotine, aspirin or caffeine could also lead to nystagmus almost identical to that caused by alcohol consumption.

Also, a person’s biorhythms or circadian rhythms could affect nystagmus readings. Our body would react differently to alcohol at different times in the day. Taking these things into consideration, a researcher suggested that the angle of onset should be decreased five degrees between midnight and 5 a.m. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration manual recommends removal of all contact lenses because this can also cause nystagmus. So if you or someone you know will get arrested for DUI in Bowie, Maryland and asked to take the horizontal gaze nystagmus test and fail it, remember that not only intoxication could be the cause of failing the test but it could be something else that is unrelated to alcohol.

Tags: DUI, DUI lawyer, field sobriety tests