There remain literally hundreds of people every year who are wrongfully accused of driving while drunk. The categorization for this criminal offense all end with the need for a drunk driving lawyer...but not all the offenses are the same, from state to state. Unfortunately, because of differences in how the offense has been described, people often suffer from misunderstanding of the law, and the rights they retain even after being charged.
Redefining “Drunk” Driving
Even the term ‘drunk driving’ is subject to wide variance, from state to state, and based on what kind of technology or testing is used by the citing or arresting police. There is also a real vengeance being exacted against anyone accused (falsely or not) of drunk driving. The word “drunk” is no longer essential to most state enforcement of alcohol or any drug, which affects the mental or physical “ability to operate” a vehicle. This means that drunk driving lawyers may be involved in more than drunkenness...and more than driving automobiles. The statutes may apply to boats, motorcycles, planes...or even bicycles.
Social pressure, by groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), have prompted states to agree to a common 0.08 blood alcohol content for drunk driving. Further pressure to bring state laws into a single pattern are likely to continue.
Technology and Talents
Drunk driving lawyers offer some of the most successful defenses of any of the so-called ‘garden variety’ crimes. Because technology in law enforcement has become so important, the expected quality of the testing instruments has made drunk driving lawyers needfully expert in drunk driving technologies. Distinctions between state laws and the application of technology to measure impairment are major elements in deciding the competence of a drunk driving lawyer.
Indeed, instead of ‘drunk,’ the term is becoming more commonly understood as impairment. The issues of impairment when based on alcohol have perfectly matched with a drunk driving lawyer’s ability to test the tester. There are abundant training courses and hard copy materials available to improve the acquittal rate of people accused of drunk driving. Other forms of impairment, caused by medications (legal or illegal) are more difficult to establish during a stop. In fact, the conviction rate is lower for non-alcoholic arrests.