As attitudes and laws regarding marijuana use evolve across the United States, states like Illinois that have legalized recreational and medical cannabis must update their DUI laws accordingly. With marijuana impairment more difficult to evaluate than alcohol impairment, people accused of driving under the influence of marijuana face many uncertainties.…
In most states, people convicted of DUI offenses face a number of civil and criminal penalties. Among other things, many states require people found guilty of DUI crimes to install ignition interlock devices on their cars. Recently, the Alabama legislature introduced a bill that aimed to remove the requirement. While…
In the majority of the United States, the threshold for a per se DUI offense is a BAC of .08. In Utah, however, the legal limit for a per se DUI offense is a BAC of .05. The reasoning behind the movement to reduce the limit was that doing so…
The circumstances surrounding some DUI accidents are so tragic that it seems axiomatic that the person who allegedly drove while intoxicated will be convicted of numerous crimes. People are not convicted via the court of public opinion, however, and the State must meet a high burden of proof in order…
People convicted of drunk driving offenses often lose their driving privileges for a period of time. While a license suspension is inconvenient for many people, for some, it may cost them their livelihood. The Pennsylvania legislature is contemplating rectifying that harm by introducing a bill that would allow commercial drivers…
The certification and accuracy of the machine used to administer your breath test play a crucial role in the state’s case against you. If it is discovered that the machine used for testing was not properly calibrated or tested, there are arguments to be made that the results of the…
In every state except Utah, the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for per se DUI crimes is 0.08. Some states, however, recently introduced legislation to lower the BAC limit for per se violations of DUI laws to 0.05. Washington state recently contemplated a measure to reduce the per se DUI…
The criminal statutes in most states provide that drivers can be charged with per se DUI violations if they drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) that is 0.08 or higher. However, some states have considered lowering the legal limit to reduce DUI accidents. For example, there was a recent…
In many states, police officers are required to wear body cameras. Bodycams are generally employed to uphold the integrity of criminal investigations and provide objective evidence. Footage from bodycams can also be used to address allegations of officer misconduct. Generally, such misconduct occurs when the officer is conducting the investigation.…
Police officers will often conduct a traffic stop if they believe there is evidence that a motorist is operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. Typically, such evidence includes swerving, ignoring traffic laws, and otherwise driving erratically. In some instances, though, an officer may fabricate a reason to conduct…