Many DUI convictions in many states
Interesting question about whether there should be a single national standard for DUI laws across all states so that it is easy to determine whether prior drunk driving convictions are valid in one state when the prior is from another.
DUI News, Updates & Opinions : DUIAttorney.com: "Others question the validity of reciprocity because a person is convicted under a state's specific laws, not federal laws. This means the same person could be found not guilty in one state and guilty in another. Many question whether national standards must be set if a person is to be held accountable for the same offense in two different states."
For practical reasons, it is sometimes very difficult for a prosecutor to prove the validity of an out of state prior conviction, especially from a state that keeps records in a different way.
The most common DUI defense lawyer question
Nationally renowned DUI defense attorney Lawrence Taylor hit the nail on the head in a recent post on his DUI blog. The quote below as as eloquent as it gets:
DUI BLOG : Bad Drunk Driving Laws, False Evidence and a Fading Constitution: “But it always surprises me how many people are outraged that I would defend someone accused by the police of a crime – particularly when it’s DUI. Arrest is increasingly seen as guilt, and there is a public perception of criminal defense attorneys as being obstructionist in this rush to judgment, of being nefarious and somehow unethical. Certainly, every defense attorney tires of the ubiquitous cocktail party question: “How can you defend guilty people?” ”
What criminal defense lawyer has not had that question? I get it literally every time I go to a party and meet new people. Sometimes it gets tedious explaining it over and over again, and now I will just refer people to Larry's article. Thanks Larry!
Georgia DUI Lawyers Bill and Valerie Sherman
DUIAttorney.com LLC is pleased to announce that The Sherman Law Group, founded by Atlanta area DUI lawyers Bill and Valerie Sherman have joined as the sponsors for several Atlanta area counties. Learn more about the Shermans and Georgia DUI law.
Sturgis DUI arrests up this year
It has been reported that DUI arrests this year at the Sturgis Motorcycle rally are up. Each year thousands of bikers converge on Sturgis, and there is always a lot of drinking, DUI arrests, and arrests for other things.
This year, through Saturday, there were a total of 316 DUI arrests. That is up sharply from last year's 23 arrests. Injury accidents are also up to 72 and counting, from 60 a year ago. However, misdemeanor and felony drug arrests are down.
What does this mean? Are the police focusing more on DUI? That could explain the elevated arrest numbers, but doesn't justify the elevated accident numbers.
Perhaps it is a sign of the economy. More people are turning to the relatively inexpensive alcohol instead of other drugs. Only time will tell, and we may never know the exact reasons.
Seattle boating under the influence
Seattle DUI Lawyer Aaron Wolff is warning about increased BUI patrols in the Seattle area this Seafair weekend.
According to Wolff, there will be a boating under the influence patrol stationed on Mercer Island where suspects arrested on Lake Washington will be taken for a breath test.
Under Washington DUI law, boating under the influence, or BUI, is treated as a serious misdemeanor.
Aaron Wolff's Washington DUI firm handles BUI cases throughout the greater Seattle area.
