DUI 

There are several ways that a person can be charged with a DUI offense. In most cases, a police officer will administrate a field sobriety test or a breath test to determine if the driver's blood alcohol content is above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. Police officers are always on the alert for intoxicated drivers in Maryland, and sometimes they may issue a DUI without concrete evidence in an attempt to keep the roads safe.

Talking too much, saying anything, taking a field sobriety test, and even taking a breath test. The less evidence a person gives an officer, the better. People get chatty after they have had a drink and officers know that. That is why they talk to the person. That is why they give the person the field-testing.  That is why they ask the person some questions. People will be honest when they are pulled over by an officer because they are nervous. Certainly, there is a lot of fear that can work into that and that is certainly something that a person will want to be careful with. Talking too much just leads to bad things. A person should say little if anything at all besides, “Here is my license. Here is my registration, a copy of my insurance,” but a person should say nothing else and do nothing else.

If you have been arrested and charged with a DUI or DWI in Maryland or a surrounding area, we advise you to contact our law office to schedule a consultation with our Maryland DUI lawyers as soon as possible.

Attorney Cal Stafilatos is well-versed in Maryland laws regarding drunk driving and drug-impaired driving, blood and breath tests, and sobriety checkpoints. He can provide a thorough defense aimed at minimizing the consequences.

The State of Maryland will typically treat a DUI offense as a misdemeanor, but the offense can be elevated to a felony charge depending on the factors involved.

Under Maryland Code 21-902, a driver will automatically face a DUI charge if his or her blood alcohol content registers at 0.08 or above, though a BAC as low as 0.05 could warrant a Driving While Impaired (DWI) charge at the discretion of the arresting officer.  Just because your alleged BAC level landed you with a DUI charge, however, does not mean you will automatically be convicted of a DUI. Our Maryland first DUI lawyers have extensive experience fighting on behalf of drivers facing first-time DUIs and can work to clear your name and keep your clean record intact.

Are you being charged with a repeat DUI offense? If you have previously been convicted of a DUI, you already understand that DUI charges a very serious matter. Any subsequent DUI charges only escalate the severity of the penalties. Not only is there jail time and potential fines on top of having your license suspended, but being marked as a repeat offender can haunt you every time you apply for work or housing. To protect your freedoms and reputation, it is vital that you contact a skilled DUI defense lawyer.

If you have been pulled over by a police officer who has probable cause to believe that you are driving under the influence, then he may administer some field sobriety tests. They are meant to assess whether you are intoxicated or not.

There is a great deal of room for human error in these tests. The officer may fail to administer the test properly. You may not be able to understand the instructions, or may not be coordinated. Factors such as age, weight, medical conditions, or even feeling nervous can severely skew any of these results. In any such instance, you could be mistakenly charged with a DUI. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), these field sobriety tests can only be 65-77% reliable at best. In fact, the NHTSA approximates that as much as 25% of those charged with a DUI because of field sobriety tests were not actually under the influence. An experienced DUI defense attorney will know how to probe for the evidence to show that your test results are highly questionable.