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Leonard Stamm:

How to Handle Your DUI Arrest

Even though you've been arrested for DUI, you don't have to let it ruin your life. You may not realize it yet, but if you are thinking about simply going to court and pleading guilty to your DUI charge you may be cheating yourself.

You see, a qualified attorney can review the case for defects, suppress evidence, compel discovery of such things as calibration and maintenance records for the breath machine, have blood samples independently analyzed, obtain expert witnesses – all of which may help you to win your case at trial.

To find out what you need to know about your DUI arrest I've developed a website to give you a wealth of useful information . . . information which will show you how you may be able to save your license and your freedom . . . and possibly avoid fines, fees, and sharply increased car insurance costs of as much as $6,800.

For the most part, my easy-to-navigate site has information on it which you can't get anywhere else unless you are willing to do a great deal of legal research.

When you're on my site, you'll also learn how you can get a free, no-obligation consultation where I'll review your case and show you how I may be able to save your license and your freedom.

Maryland DUI Drunk Driving Defense Information Notice of Maryland Checkpoints Posted on Internet

To educate the public and help prevent alcohol-related crashes, Maryland Transportation Authority Police, with the assistance of the Department of the Maryland State Police and the Cecil County Sheriff’s Department will conduct a sobriety checkpoint at the toll plaza of the Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge (US 40 between Perryville and Havre de Grace) during the weekend of June 28-29. The checkpoint is part of an ongoing effort to intensify the fight against impaired driving and provide safe- roadways for Maryland’s citizens and visitors.

Search for Maryland DWI Attorneys by county.

Attorney Offices by Municipality

• Aberdeen
  • Steven J. Scheinin
• Annapolis
  • Thomas Ellis: Criminal Defense A Good Lawyer Can Make All The Difference In Criminal Cases If there is anything that someone accused of a crime should know it's the importance of securing a good lawyer immediately. A good lawyer can make sure that your arrest was conducted properly. Any discrepancy in police procedures, arrests, or search and seizure may cause a case to be thrown out. Even if the accused has already confessed, a good lawyer can achieve a settlement that reduces the punishment and helps avoid jail time.
  • Fratus, Campbell & Brady: When you're facing a first time DUI, or other misdemeanor or felony criminal defense matter, your case is too important not to get the best, and most expert, legal assistance you can find.
  • Gil Cochran: You have the right to contact an attorney just as soon as you are arrested. Gill Cochran is available on a 24-hour basis to answer your questions if you have been arrested for DWI.
  • Edward Stone: DUI-DWI: The terms DUI and DWI are often used interchangeably. They shouldn't be. While it is true that the offenses share the same elements, they carry separate and distinct penalties.
  • Hillman, Brown & Darrow: In Maryland, the implied consent statute (TR 16©205.1) requires that an individual who is caught driving while intoxicated have their license suspended for a period of 45 days to one year. In addition, the driver is subject to criminal sanction of, for a first offense of up to $1000.00 and up to one year in jail. In my case, it may appear that that my client would get off without any problem because the officer did not see my client driving. If you think that you would be right and wrong. Under the implied consent statute, the driver is subject to sanction if, among other things, the officer has reasonable grounds to believe the driver was driving or attempting to drive while intoxicated. Therefore, the driver could be subject to sanctions even if the officer did not see anything if the circumstances of the stop would indicate the suspect was driving. This is so because the implied consent statute is administrative in nature, not criminal. Since, your life and liberty is not in jeopardy, the officer does not have to prove his case to a criminal standard.
• Baltimore
• Bel Air
  • Stanley E. Protokowicz: If I am pulled over for suspicion of drunk driving, what should I do? Cooperate with the officers; be polite and respectful. Do not volunteer ANY information. Contact a lawyer as soon as possible.
  • Shane Nolan: DWI convictions are serious. But, do not assume that failing a breath test means you are guilty. Because it is a criminal charge, you are presumed innocent, and breath tests are not 100% accurate.
• Bethesda
  • Belsky & Purdum: The second category of traffic violations are known as "major offenses" and include, among other charges, Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), Driving Under the Influence of Drugs/Alcohol (DUI) and Driving on a Suspended License. If you are convicted of a major offense, you may be subject to imprisonment and/or a substantial fine. If you are charged with a major offense, you must appear in court. Unlike minor offenses, you cannot pay the fine to avoid going to court. Anyone charged with a major offense should be represented by an attorney. An attorney will have the legal know-how to object to evidence and questions, and is better able to offer to the court reasons why you deserve leniency if you are found guilty of the offense.
• Bowie
  • Gabriel Christian: If You are Arrested Before the police takes you into custody, make sure that your house or car is secure. Make sure you have been informed as to why you are being arrested. NOTE: A lawyer should be called as soon as possible. The advise of an attorney is extremely important early in the process. Under no circumstances should you make incriminating statements which might be used against you at a later time. In most states, you must be taken before a judge, magistrate, constable or court commissioner within 24 hours of your arrest. You should secure legal representation before this initial court appearance. Ask to telephone your parent, guardian, or lawyer immediately. Yo have the right to make one phone call to the person of your choice; use it. You also have the right to privacy during the call. If this right is denied, do not cause a confrontation that might result in additional charges being filed against you. You should always have the number of a lawyer or a person you can rely on to get you an attorney if your lawyer is unavailable. Keep a record of that number, as well as the name and number of a lawyer in your wallet or purse.
  • Goodwin Schlossberg: DUI/DWI- Traffic violations can have serious criminal consequences, particularly when a driver is accused of driving under the influence. A conviction on DUI/DWI charges may result in fines, the revocation or suspension of your driver's license, and possible jail time. In addition, your insurance company may increase your rates to an unmanageable level. In defending against an impaired driving charge, you have many rights as a criminal defendant, including the right to cross-examine the witnesses against you, even if they are police officers. An experienced criminal defense attorney can make all the difference in such a difficult case.
• College Park
  • Steven Jacoby: If you've been charged with a crime or arrested for drunk driving, your liberty is at risk. You need immediate, aggressive, and experienced representation to protect your rights.
  • Kemet & Hunt: Criminal Law - "Innocent until proven guilty," most of us are familiar with this phrase. Often times, however, a person is presumed guilty until proven innocent.
• Columbia
• Cumberland
  • Steven Friend: It is NOT against the law in Maryland to drive after having consumed alcohol. It IS against the law to drive after consuming enough alcohol to impair your driving abilities, or in legal terminology, "drinking to the extent of probably affecting one's judgement and discretion or probably affecting one's nervous system to the extent that there is a failure of normal coordination. It is also against the law to consume alcoholic beverages while driving. Therefore, avoid having open alcohol containers in your vehicle while you are driving and refrain from driving after you have drank enough to affect your judgement, coordination, discretion or reflexes.
• Damascus
  • Stephen Leas:
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    • What is a Breathalyzer test?
    • Should you take a Breathalyzer test?
    • What impact does a DWI or DUI have on your driver's license?
    • What is the legal level of Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) for a DWI?
    • What is the legal level of Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) for a DUI?
    • Will I have an Administrative Hearing before the Motor Vehicle Administration and what do I do?
    • What are the penalties for a DWI or DUI conviction?
    • What do I do if I've had a prior DUI or DWI conviction.?
    • What is a PBT?
    • What is a PBJ and am I eligible for one?
• Edgewood
  • Abercrombie Law Office: The U.S. Supreme Court has generally interpreted the Fourth Amendment prohibition against "unreasonable searches and seizures" to impose a warrant requirement upon police officers who wish to perform a valid search or arrest. However, the Court has carved out some exceptions to the warrant requirement, which make certain "seizures" constitutionally permissible in the absence of a warrant.
• Ellicott City
• Elkton
  • Michael Onifer: Criminal charges are serious matters, whether it is a misdemeanor or a felony, whether or not you see the inside of a jail cell and or how long depends on hiring the right attorney.
  • Scott & Scott: Performing field sobriety tests (walking the line, one leg stand, etc.) are purely optional. Always decline to perform these tests if you have had too much to drink. Poor performance on these tests only builds the state's case against you. On the other hand, the roadside breath test (PBT-preliminary breath test) is not admissible in Court and submitting to this test is okay if you have only had a couple of drinks. If you pass the PBT the officer may let you go. Maryland has now enacted a .08 limit for driving while intoxicated. The limit for driving impaired is .07. If you take the breath test at the police station you are almost always assuring your conviction. You have an absolute right to refuse the breath test at the police station. While this will result in suspension of your drivers license (or your privilege to drive in Maryland if you have an out of state license), Maryland drivers can receive a restricted work license for their first test refusal. If you refuse the test, the police officer will issue you a temporary license along with a hearing request copy. You must send in the hearing request copy within ten (10) days of your arrest to make sure that your license is not suspended before the hearing to obtain a restricted license. Never make a statement to the police about how much you had to drink without first consulting with an attorney.
• Frederick
  • Richard Bricken: Whether you or someone close to you has been charged with either a crime or major traffic offense, you need a lawyer. Too often we hear the words "But I'm innocent, I don't need a lawyer." Unfortunately, that's when you need an attorney most in order to protect your rights under the United States Constitution and the Maryland Declaration of Rights. The best time to contact an attorney is before charges are actually brought, but that is not always possible, especially in traffic cases.
• Ft. Washington
  • Nick Kourtesis: In today's society, a vehicle is a necessity. Our goal is to protect your right to own and operate a vehicle. The first line of defense is to challenge the reason that you were stopped. There are bad stops! There are many things that you need to do before appearing in front of a judge. We know what these things are and we strongly urge you to move quickly and contact my firm if you have been arrested or cited for a traffic offense. If it is your first arrest, the goal is make sure that you can continue driving. For second offenses, the goal is often to keep you out of jail and able to continue providing for your family.
• Gaithersberg
  • Gwyn Hoerauf: Of all of the field sobriety tests used by police officers to determine a driver's level of intoxication in DUI arrests, the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test is the most popular among law enforcement officers for effectively determining evidence of a driver's blood-alcohol concentration (BAC). HGN is an involuntary jerking of the eye that occurs naturally as the eyes gaze to the side. During the HGN test, officers instruct DUI suspects to follow a stimulus (usually a penlight) with their eyes, estimating the driver's BAC level based in part on the angle of gaze at which jerking is first observed in each eye. Despite its proven accuracy, the admissibility of the HGN test in court is the most heavily scrutinized of all field sobriety tests. Specifically, some courts characterize the HGN test as a scientific test, requiring prosecutors to lay the foundation for the admission of HGN evidence via expert testimony.
  • Lawrence Robinson: Criminal charges may include such matters involving serious traffic offenses, including DUI/DWI violations.  Any criminal DUI/DWI case can lead to serious consequences.  For example, there is always the very strong possibility of a substantial fine being imposed in addition to a sentence of a time in jail.  A serious traffic offense may result in the revocation of your driver's license, making everyday transportation difficult.  The premium for your automobile insurance will probably increase dramatically.  A conviction for some DUI/DWI crimes can result in the loss orsuspension of your commercial driving license, making it difficult for you to earn a living in your usual way.  There are certain requirements that the State has to prove in a serious traffic case for you to be convicted.  There are also different steps that you have to take in order get the best results possible.  You need a strong advocate to help you stand up for your rights.
• Glen Burnie
• Greenbelt
• Hyattsville
  • Malik Shakur: Conviction of a crime may bring a sentence including fines, probation, imprisonment or other judicial discipline. It is important to seek competent legal advice from a criminal defense lawyer as early in this process as possible. Criminal offenses are violations of public law. Federal and State laws generally include two categories of varying severity.
• Largo
  • Mitchell Pressman: Criminal Law If you have appeared without an attorney in District Court on a criminal or serious traffic matter (ie.,one with potential jail time) you were undoubtedly informed by the Judge that you are potentially facing jail time and would be wise to get legal representation. The Judge then asked you if you wanted time to hire an attorney. In some cases the Judge may have asked if you wanted to apply to use the Public Defender or to obtain a private attorney. Perhaps you qualified for a Public Defender and decided to use their services (they generally do a better job than people give them credit for). But maybe you didn't qualify for a Public Defender. Did you know where to turn? If you hadn't dealt with lawyers or legal problems before, you probably did not.
• La Plata
  • Jenkins & Jenkins: If you are charged with a DUI, DWI, Driving While Suspended and/or Revoked are other serious traffic offenses, they carry substantial penalties, both by way of fine, potential jail time and points on your driving record. A lawyer can help you not only by recognizing technical legal defenses, by knowing what the Judge is likely to do, given the circumstances of your case and what you can do to improve the odds of a favorable disposition.
  • Wolfgang & Buchanan: Your lawyer will evaluate your case to see if all of your Constitutional rights were protected. Was the stopping of your vehicle legal? Did you voluntarily consent to be searched? Was the breathalyzer machine working properly? Did you understand your rights as they were explained? These are some of the issues that your lawyer will be looking for. In addition to that, your lawyer is also trained to look for the things that you did right during the stop, and may be able to use these clues to persuade the prosecutor to give you a better plea offer.
• North Bethesda
  • Orenburg Law Firm: Traffic offenses are no longer minor offenses, especially along the I-95 corridor in Washington, D.C.
• Ocean City
• Ocean Pines
  • Terri Taylor: Being arrested for Driving While Intoxicated or impaired by drugs doesn't have to be a devastating experience.
• Old Bridge
  • Goldstein & Bachman:

    As in all states, in New Jersey it is a crime to operate a vehicle while impaired by the effects of alcohol or drugs. The offense may be called driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI). Whatever the term, New Jersey DUI / DWI laws make it illegal for a person to operate a car, truck, motorcycle, or commercial vehicle if:

    • The driver's ability to safely operate the vehicle is impaired by the effects of alcohol
    • The driver is intoxicated at a level above established DUI standards, such as blood-alcohol concentration (BAC). In New Jersey, this level is defined as a BAC of .10%.

    New Jersey has serious drunk driving penalties. If you are found guilty on DUI charges, you will lose all driving privileges for a minimum of six months and may face fines of up to $700. In addition, you will be faced with increased automobile insurance rates and insurance surcharges to the state.

• Owings Mills
  • Singleton & Gendler: If the arresting officer took your driver's license, you must, within ten days of your arrest, request an administrative hearing with the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). Under most circumstances, if an administrative hearing is not requested within ten days, your license will be automatically suspended.
  • Leonard Shapiro: All states have "implied consent" laws that require drivers suspected of DUI to submit to some form of chemical test (breath, blood or urine) to measure BAC. Implied consent laws are based on the logic that all drivers give consent to DUI testing by driving on state roads and highways. In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that an officer may force a driver to submit to a blood test (without the driver's consent or a warrant) as long as the officer has probable cause to believe the driver is under the influence. While some states allow drivers to choose the form of chemical test, refusing to submit to a chemical test can carry serious penalties (e.g., mandatory license suspension). In fact, refusal to take a chemical test in California will result in a one-year license suspension for the first offense. Further, if a driver is ultimately convicted for DUI, his refusal to submit to a chemical test may enhance the penalties.
  • Michael A. Freedman: Test results and the resulting legal presumpton are as follows:
    • .05 or less - presumed that the Defendant was not driving while under the influence of alcohol
    • More than .05 but less than .07 - does not give rise to a presumption but may be considered with other evidence in determining guilt or innocence.
    • .07 or more - prima facie evidence that the Defendant was Driving While Under the Influence of alcohol (a lesser offense than Driving While Intoxicated).
    • .10 or more - prima facie evidence that the Defendant was Driving While Intoxicated
• Pikesville
  • Jay Liner: Traffic violations can have serious criminal consequences, particularly when a driver is accused of driving under the influence. A conviction on DUI/DWI charges may result in fines, the revocation or suspension of your driver's license, and possible jail time. In addition, your insurance company may increase your rates to an unmanageable level. In defending against an impaired driving charge, you have many rights as a criminal defendant, including the right to cross-examine the witnesses against you, even if they are police officers. An experienced criminal defense attorney can make all the difference in such a difficult case.
• Prince Frederick
  • Larry Lamson: Lawyers are trained to read and interpret statutes (laws). Depending on your personal criminal background, there may be complicated sentencing matters to consider. A lawyer can explain to you the possible outcomes, and they will be aware of the individual sentencing patterns of your local judges.
• Rockville
• Salisbury
  • James Anthenelli: In practice, most criminal cases are resolved through plea bargains, not trials. The accused may waive the right to a jury trial, but this must usually be done in writing and before a judge, with some verification that the accused understands the right waived. Furthermore, despite the constitutional provision, not all criminal prosecutions require a jury trial, for example: In many states, there is no right to a jury in trials of juveniles/minors. The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed trials without a jury in state and federal courts for minor offenses that do not carry the threat of prison time or large fines. One noteworthy decision guarantees the right to jury trial only for offenses punishable by more than six months in prison and/or a $500 fine. However, trials for multiple offenses, whose aggregate penalties total that much or more, do not require a jury trial. Those actions which are not technically criminal, yet can result in imprisonment and other sanctions, do not entitle the accused to a jury trial. A contempt proceeding is an example of such an action. However, departure from this rule has been observed when sanctions are sufficiently serious.
  • Robins, Johnson & Wade: Under Maryland law, any person who drives or attempts to drive a motor vehicle on a highway or on any private property that is used by the public in general in this state is deemed to have consented to take a test if the person should be detained on suspicion of driving or attempting to drive while intoxicated (DWI) or under the influence (DUI) of alcohol.
• Severn
  • William Trevillian: Being arrested for a criminal offense is a frightening experience for both the person arrested and his or her family and friends. What happens next? How will this affect the future?
• Severna Park
  • Michael Wilsman: If you are facing a more serious misdemeanor or minor felony charge, you could be facing a loss of civil rights and jail or prison.  You have the right to have your attorney represent you at every stage of a criminal proceeding.
  • Ray Carignan: Penalties A fine of up to $500.00 and up to 2 months in jail. While transporting a minor: 1st offense - a fine of up to $1,000.00 and up to 6 months in jail; 2nd offense and subsequent offenses- a fine of up to $2,000.00 and up to 1 year in jail.
  • Christopher Flohr: If the government, whether State or Federal, is tying to convict you of a crime, you need to aggressively defend against such charges. A criminal conviction will have long lasting consequences including fines, court costs, and jail or prison time. You need an attorney with knowledge and experience in criminal defense.
• Silver Spring
• Towson
• Upper Marlboro
• Westminster
  • Kenneth Crocken: There are serious and immediate consequences to being charged with driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while impaired (DWI). Even before your day in court, your license may be automatically suspended. The uncertainty following a DUI/DWI charge, how will this effect your family, your finances, can lead to high levels of stress. Knowing what you are about to face and being able to prepare for the possible consequences can help to alleviate the stress and anxiety.