Posted on May 06, 2024 in Underage Drinking

A driving under the influence (DUI) charge can hurt an adult’s future and, even more so, a child’s. As a parent, it’s important to know what can happen to your child with an underage DUI conviction. Although this might seem intimidating, the purpose here isn’t to scare you. It’s about educating and preventing an issue before it starts.

By understanding this, you’re taking a big step to help your child avoid serious mistakes, including those that might be uncomfortable to discuss.

Impact on education

A DUI conviction can significantly affect your child’s educational opportunities. Take college admissions, for example. Colleges and universities often ask about criminal convictions as part of their application process. If your child has a DUI on their record, it could limit their opportunities for admission.

Even if they gain acceptance, the conviction might impact their eligibility for scholarships or participation in specific programs or extracurricular activities. Suddenly, your child’s dream school might feel out of reach.

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 Posted on May 04, 2024 in DUI Charges

If a driver is suspected by police of driving under the influence, Maryland police officers have a few different ways to tell if the driver is impaired. Most of the time, the officer will ask the driver to step out of the vehicle and take field sobriety tests. Field sobriety tests are assessments conducted by officers to gauge a person’s sobriety. The Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST), is made up of three different tests that evaluate an individual’s ability to execute tasks correctly.

Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN)

The Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus is the involuntary jerking of a person’s eye when it goes to the side. Alcohol use will exacerbate the jerking movements. To administer the test, an officer will ask the driver to follow a moving object with their eyes. The officer will look for involuntary jerking of the driver’s eyes.

Walk and turn

The walk-and-turn test is used to gauge balance. The officer will ask the driver to take at least nine steps heel-to-toe in a straight line, then turn on one foot before repeating the process in the opposite direction. The driver may also be asked to count aloud with each step.

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 Posted on April 29, 2024 in Cargos DUI

Conducir bajo la influencia del alcohol o las drogas (DUI), ya sean sustancias ilícitas o medicamentos recetados, es un delito que no debe tomarse a la ligera. En Maryland, como en muchos otros estados, las consecuencias legales de un primer delito pueden ser severas y duraderas.

Si usted o alguien cercano ha sido detenido por primera vez bajo la sospecha de DUI, es crucial tomar acciones inmediatas y estar informado sobre las posibles repercusiones. En Maryland, una primera ofensa (enlace en inglés) por DUI puede acarrear hasta un año de cárcel y multas de hasta $1,000. Incluso, las consecuencias podrían agravarse si durante la detención se encontrara presente un menor, con posibles consecuencias de hasta dos años de prisión y $2,000 en multas.

Impacto de un primer DUI y pasos a seguir

El procedimiento inicia cuando la policía lo detiene. Si el agente sospecha que ha consumido alcohol o cualquier otro tipo de sustancia, se le podría aplicar una prueba de sobriedad que podría concluir en su arresto y trasladado a una estación. De ser arrestado, es vital que no oponga resistencia y haga uso de su derecho a permanecer en silencio y a solicitar un abogado.

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 Posted on April 18, 2024 in Field Sobriety Tests

When police officers in Maryland stop a driver whom they suspect is impaired, they may ask the driver to take a series of field sobriety tests. These standardized field sobriety tests are utilized by officers to gauge a person’s impairment due to alcohol or drugs. Law enforcement agencies can use field sobriety test results to establish probable cause for DUI arrests, so many people assume that the tests are infallible and accurate. However, these tests are not 100% accurate. 

Accuracy of field sobriety tests 

In the late 1970s, a study was conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Southern California Research Institute (SCRI) to evaluate the accuracy of dozens of field sobriety tests. In the study, the SCRI asked 10 officers to watch subjects perform various tests. After viewing the subjects, they asked the officers to decide whether the participants had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .10 or higher.  

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 Posted on April 08, 2024 in Manejar ebrio

Cuando una persona es detenida por sospecha de conducir bajo la influencia del alcohol o drogas (DUI por sus siglas en inglés), el proceso legal que sigue puede ser complejo y abrumador. Es fundamental conocer los pasos que involucra este procedimiento para estar mejor preparado para el largo camino que lo espera.

Las etapas iniciales del proceso de DUI

El proceso comienza con la detención por parte de la policía, que puede requerir la realización de pruebas de sobriedad en la calle. Si el oficial tiene motivos para creer que está bajo la influencia de alcohol u otra sustancia embriagante, o si usted se niega a tomar una prueba de alcoholímetro, usted puede ser arrestado y llevado a una estación de policía (enlace en inglés).

No resista el arresto; aun así, es esencial que usted invoque su derecho de permanecer en silencio y su derecho de tener un abogado a su lado. No diga nada a la policía que pueden usar contra de usted durante su interrogación hasta que llegue su abogado.

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 Posted on March 31, 2024 in DUI Charges

Anyone from all walks of life here in Maryland and across the nation can occasionally make a mistake. No matter one’s status in society, if that mistake involves driving while under the influence of alcohol, the potential consequences could be life-altering. Fortunately, there is professional support available to everyone who suddenly faces DUI and other related criminal charges no matter the unique circumstances of the arrest. 

Prominent reality television star Karen Huger of the Real Housewives of Potomac is facing criminal charges after recently wrecking her vehicle. The incident took place late on a Tuesday night in Montgomery County. Law enforcement alleges that Huger’s vehicle went over a median before striking two different traffic signs. Her vehicle reportedly suffered extensive damage, leaving it inoperable. 

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 Posted on March 21, 2024 in DUI Charges

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is an ongoing and very concerning problem in Maryland. Every year, hundreds of people are injured or killed in accidents caused by impaired or drunk drivers. Law enforcement agencies across the state are increasing patrols and conducting frequent DUI checkpoints to keep roads safe and combat drunk driving in Maryland. 

Recent DUI crackdown 

Recently in Montgomery County, law enforcement agencies conducted a DUI crackdown over St. Patrick’s Day weekend. The crackdown was spearheaded by officers from the Montgomery County Police Department along with troopers from the Maryland State Police. Reports said officers made a total of 13 DUI arrests and one criminal arrest over the weekend while making 82 traffic stops. 

Officers said they also issued 129 traffic citations, 64 traffic warnings and 21 safety repair orders during the crackdown. Reportedly, this data does not include arrests made by patrol officers on duty and only includes arrests made by saturation patrol detail officers. Therefore, police said the total number of DUI arrests made over the weekend is likely higher. 

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 Posted on March 14, 2024 in DUI Charges

Driving while under the influence of alcohol is illegal – it’s also incredibly dangerous. Yet, every year, thousands of drivers in Maryland are arrested for driving impaired. These accusations can not only have disastrous impacts on a person’s life for many years but could also result in jail time. In Maryland, drivers can be charged with driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI). There are a few key differences that determine whether a driver will receive a DUI or a DWI charge. 

Comparing DWI and DUI charges 

In this state, when a driver is arrested and suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol there are two possible offenses recognized by the law. These are DUI and DWI. DWI is the lesser of these two offenses.  

Drivers can be charged with DWI if the evidence suggests the driver was impaired to some degree by alcohol or drugs, which also includes legal drugs. Drivers can be charged with DUI, a more serious offense, if they are impaired by a controlled substance or have a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. It is also important to note that Maryland drivers who are under the age of 21 are also subject to zero tolerance laws, which means they can be charged if their BAC is .02 or higher. 

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 Posted on March 02, 2024 in DUI Charges

When Maryland drivers are stopped by police and suspected of being intoxicated, officers will usually ask to administer several field sobriety tests. The horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN) is one of three standardized field sobriety tests that officers often administer to evaluate impairment. However, like all field sobriety tests, the horizontal gaze nystagmus test is not 100% accurate. 

What is horizontal gaze nystagmus? 

Horizontal gaze nystagmus is a medical term that describes the involuntary jerking of the eyeballs. When a person is intoxicated, this jerking in the eyes becomes more prominent and noticeable. Before administering the HGN test, the officer is supposed to examine the individual’s eyes to gauge their resting nystagmus, pupil size and tracking to see if both eyes can follow an object together. 

Administering the horizontal gaze nystagmus test 

To administer an HGN test, the officer will hold a small object, usually an ink pen, about 12-15 inches from the individual’s nose. The officer will then move the object slowly from one side to the other. The individual will attempt to follow the object with their eyes while keeping their head still. The officer looks for any jerking or bouncing in the eyes and will also look for nystagmus before the eyes get to a 45-degree angle. 

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 Posted on February 21, 2024 in Manejar ebrio

Cuando una persona es acusada de conducir bajo la influencia del alcohol o las drogas, puede recibir cargos por conducción en estado de ebriedad (DUI por sus siglas en inglés). Los acusados pueden enfrentarse a un proceso legal complejo y a menudo intimidante. El estado de Maryland tiene leyes de DUI que son particularmente estrictas comparadas con las de otros estados, y puede haber consecuencias graves para quienes son condenados. Es aquí donde un abogado dedicado a defensa contra cargos de DUI es un aliado crucial.

Puede asegurarse de que se respeten sus derechos

Un abogado de DUI que trabaja en esta zona tendrá una comprensión profunda de las leyes de tránsito y las regulaciones relacionadas con los DUI en Maryland, incluso las posibles consecuencias a largo plazo de una convicción. Por ejemplo, conducir mientras se está impedido por el alcohol es un delito grave que puede resultar en multas sustanciales, la suspensión de la licencia de conducir, e incluso tiempo en la cárcel (enlace en inglés).

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