In Maryland, a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) traffic violation is a serious legal issue that will affect your driving privileges and land you in jail. If you are stopped for suspected DUI and you refuse to take a field sobriety test or alcohol breath test, or if you fail after you took it, your license will be suspended, and you will be arrested. Automatically, you face both criminal and administrative charges.
A criminal charge involves appearing in court and if found guilty, you will be ordered to pay a fine or pay a fine and serve a jail sentence as well – this means you won’t be able to go to school or work and you will be poorer by at least $1000. If this is not your first offense, or if this offense is a second offense within five years, the fine is greater, and the jail sentence is longer.
An administrative charge involves points assessed on your license (at least 12 points). It also means your license may be suspended or revoked which means you’ll have to take a bus to school or to work. If your job requires the use of a car, such as when you are a salesperson and you need to see your customers, then your earning capacity will be hurt, you may even get fired if your boss finds that you’ve been convicted of a DUI offense.
In the back of the ticket, you are advised that you need to go to court within 10 days after the ticket is issued to you. You may get lucky and the traffic officer may not show up, but the judge will have access to CCTV or traffic camera footages and alcohol test results. You will need to present evidence that the court will accept.
You will also be advised in the Order of Suspension (yes, the traffic officer can and will issue you an Order of Suspension of your license) that you can request a hearing to show why your license or driving privilege should not be suspended. If you drive a truck for a living, you won’t be able to earn a living.
It is during the court hearing or in the hearing at the Motor Vehicle Administration that you’ll need representation by a lawyer. Don’t appear for a hearing without a lawyer.
How the Law Offices of Nicholas J Del Pizzo can help?
At the Law Offices of Nicholas J Del Pizzo we are aggresive in defending our clients and ensuring the protection of their constitutional rights. We analyze all aspects of your DUI arrest and answer the questions needed to build a strong DUI defense:
- Did the arresting officer have probable cause to pull you over?
- Did the office administer the field sobriety and breathalyzer test properly?
- Was the breathalyzer properly calibrated and maintained?
- If there was a blood test, was it done within your rights and did it follow the proper chain of custody?
An arrest for a DUI in Maryland can be frightening and unsettling. Know that you have rights throughout the entire process, and if your rights were violated in any way know that we will being that information to light. Contact our law firm today for help with a DUI arrest in Maryland.