Tag Archives: THC

While the concealed carry law was NOT changed in Virginia this year, the very long concealed carry section was reorganized into a number of smaller sections.  The result:  courts are increasingly requiring defendants convicted of DWI to relinquish their concealed carry permits. And this is for people that were NOT carrying while DWI.  The penalty for concealed carry while intoxicated is another Class 1 misdemeanor with up to a $2500 fine and a year in jail.  Your weapon will also usually be confiscated ... Read More »

You decide to go it alone – skip hiring a DWI defense attorney – and you get convicted of a DWI.  You pay a $250 fine that becomes almost $500 with court costs.  You pay a $300 entry fee for the Alcohol Safety and Action Program and even more for treatment and classes.  You pay $600 to $800 for ignition interlock so that you can begin to drive again.  You pay a DMV reinstatement fee.                 You file for FR44 ... Read More »

If you are charged with virtually any alcohol and drug related driving offenses you will be entitled to bond.[i] This includes the most serious intoxicated driving offenses such as those involving death or serious injury. This does not mean that the Michigan court cannot keep close tabs on you while you are on bond.  The court can impose many different conditions on your bond, such as periodically reporting to a monitoring agency, not using alcohol, participate in therapy or AA, ... Read More »

Under the implied consent law in Virginia, you are required to give a breath or blood test if an officer arrests you for driving under the influence. If you’ve been in an accident and end up at a hospital, the officer will usually ask for a blood test. You have the power to refuse, but will then face a separate refusal charge with additional penalties. The officer then has a choice to obtain a warrant for a forced blood test, ... Read More »

If you are pulled over and the officer suspects drunk driving, you will be offered a preliminary breath test – sometimes called an Alco-Sensor.  I have watched many videos where officers tell my clients that the results of the Alco-Sensor “cannot be used in court” and “cannot hurt them.”  But is this true? It is true that the preliminary breath test cannot be used against them to prove DWI or “baby DWI” (under 21 with a blood alcohol level of ... Read More »

You can’t count on a lot in life – but one thing you can – DWI penalties always get tougher in Virginia.  So, it’s noteworthy when Virginia decides to give people convicted of a DUI a break.  This break comes from the Governor instead of from the General Assembly. If you were convicted of a felony DUI, it will be easier to get your rights restored to vote, hold office, and serve on a jury.  Additionally, this initial restoration is ... Read More »

Third and subsequent DWIs became felonies in Virginia in 1999.  Since that time, Virginia has had a 10 year lookback period for using previous DUIs to enhance punishments.  Currently, Virginia Code § 18.2-270 has the following DWIs and minimum mandatory punishments: 3 DWIs committed within a 10 year period   90 days 3 DWIs committed within a 5 year period     6 months 4 (or more) DWIs within a 10 year period      1 year These portions of the law remain the same. ... Read More »

A local Florida station reports that Florida changed its rules to allow shorter yellow light times at intersections.  The result:  millions of dollars in additional revenues in red light camera fines.  Did Florida cities and counties inform their citizens that “the times were a’changing?”  Of course not!  Why?  Millions of dollars from red light camera fines! As it turns out, the Florida Department of Transportation reduced the yellow light time below federal recommendations.  Why?  Research apparently indicated that if you ... Read More »

I originally intended to blog about the April 2013 decision of the United States Supreme Court in Missouri v. McNeely.  (I’ll do that in a future blog.)  But, while doing research, I was once again shocked at the number of newspaper articles and attorneys that don’t understand “implied consent.” An oft repeated refrain goes something like this: “It’s called the implied consent law and everyone signs the form when they get their driver’s license.”  One article goes on to state ... Read More »

As we’ve been reporting on this blog for some time, a proposed bill has been circulating in the Colorado legislature that aimed to establish a legal limit on the nanograms of THC per 100 milliliters of blood that state drivers could register in blood tests given by law enforcement officials.  The bill, formally known as House Bill 13-1114, would have made 5 nanograms of THC per 100 milliliters marijuana’s equivalent of the 0.08 blood alcohol content limit for drivers who are ... Read More »