Blog
- What are the penalties for an underage DUI in Maryland?
Oct 14, 2021
In Maryland, like other U.S. states, the legal drinking age is 21. Persons charged with drinking under 21 face a fine and a misdemeanor conviction. When someone commits a DUI offense while drinking underage, the penalties could be far more severe. However, it might be possible to fight the charges, depending on the circumstances. Underage DUI offenses in Maryland Driving under the influence (DUI) offenses involve someone operating a vehicle with a blood...Read More - What is Maryland’s interlock ignition program?
Oct 8, 2021
Every state has a different approach to how those convicted of driving under the influence are sentenced. All states implement penalties based on the number of offenses and the level of blood-alcohol concentration detected in the defendant’s system. Fines, incarceration and license suspension are standard for most states. Requiring an ignition interlock device is not always ordered, but it assuredly can be required in Maryland. When an IID is required Not all drivers...Read More - What is Probable Cause?
Oct 1, 2021
Before police make an arrest, conduct a search or obtain a warrant, they must have probable cause. The term “probable cause” is found in the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution’s protection against unreasonable government searches and seizures. Courts in Maryland look at the totality of circumstances – meaning everything that the arresting officers knew or reasonably believed at the time of the arrest – when determining whether or not it was reasonable for...Read More - Aggravated DUI in Maryland
Sep 30, 2021
It is illegal in all states to drive under the influence of controlled substances or alcohol. While penalties in each state vary, many of them have aggravating factors that increase penalties. Drivers in Ocean City, Maryland, who have been pulled over can get increased penalties for an aggravated DUI. Overview of aggravated DUI A standard driver is commonly considered intoxicated with a blood alcohol content level of .08 or more. A driver doesn’t...Read More - Expunging criminal records can help in obtaining jobs, housing and education
Sep 27, 2021
A criminal conviction can create difficulties when applying for a job or an apartment because employers and landlords often ask about a person’s criminal record. In many instances, the severity and the age of the criminal conviction doesn’t matter. Online retail giant Amazon was sued by a group of drivers who said they were fired when a background check showed criminal charges that were minor and 10 years old. The best way to...Read More - Maryland’s unique medical malpractice laws
Sep 24, 2021
Many states have specific laws pertaining to medical malpractice lawsuits. Some of the statutes are relatively standard while others are unique in some aspects. Maryland uses a medical malpractice standard that also allows for the state’s antiquated contributory negligence law barring injured parties from being financially compensated for injuries if they have even a small degree of fault with respect to the incident. However, that bar typically does not apply in medical malpractice suits unless...Read More - Repeat DUI penalties in Maryland
Sep 20, 2021
All states impose minimum sentencing for DUI. Sometimes, a driver in Glen Burnie, Maryland, gets a lighter penalty for a first DUI, based on circumstances. However, repeat offenders may face much stiffer penalties under new laws. Overview of Maryland DUI Maryland makes driving under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or a combination is a punishable offense. A driver can get charged with a DUI, driving under the influence, or a DWI, which...Read More - Maryland field sobriety tests can be challenged
Sep 17, 2021
Field sobriety tests are a series of tests used by police officers to determine if a person suspected of impaired driving is intoxicated with alcohol or drugs. The three tests most commonly used are the horizontal gaze nystagmus, the walk-and-turn, and the one-leg stand. The horizontal gaze nystagmus test checks for involuntary jerking of the eye which can indicate alcohol impairment. The “walk and turn” test requires a test subject to take a specified...Read More - Defenses for a positive Breathalyzer test
Sep 15, 2021
Many state laws give officers the right to pull suspected drunk drivers over for testing. The most commonly used test is a Breathalyzer to measure blood alcohol content, or BAC. However, the test results are not always accurate, and a driver in Maryland can challenge them. Maryland DUI laws and Breathalyzers In Maryland, a driver can get charged for driving under the influence or driving while impaired. The state presumes that a driver...Read More - Appeals court finds probable cause for impaired driving based on trooper’s visual observation of vehicle’s contents
Sep 13, 2021
The trial court made a mistake when it concluded that a Maryland State Trooper lacked probable cause to believe that a man was guilty of impaired driving at the time of his arrest, the Court of Special Appeals has ruled. The trooper was performing road patrol last year in an unmarked car a little past midnight on Route 213, south of the Chestertown Bridge in Queen Anne’s County. The officer saw a vehicle in...Read More