Domestic Criminal LawDriving under the influence

Annapolis DUI lawyer, Maria Patterson can defend your alcohol related criminal charges. A blood or breath alcohol concentration of .08 or more is considered to be driving under the influence of alcohol. Where an individual’s blood or breath alcohol concentration is .05 or less, he or she is presumed not to be under the influence of alcohol, nor driving while impaired.

Driving under the influence (DUI) and driving while impaired (DWI) by alcohol differ by the degrees of intoxication. Both crimes require that normal coordination be reduced due to alcohol intoxication. A blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reading is often taken by a breathalyzer or a blood alcohol test. A blood alcohol concentration is the amount of alcohol present in a 100 milliliter volume of blood.

Driving under the influence of alcohol is the more serious crime and requires that the amount of alcohol consumed substantially impaired the person’s normal coordination.

Driving while impaired is the less serious crime and only requires that the alcohol consumed has impaired normal coordination to some degree. Even if there is evidence that a defendant consumed alcohol, a defendant cannot be found guilty unless he or she was under the influence of or impaired by alcohol.

Evidence of being impaired by alcohol can come from a breathalyzer, blood alcohol tests and field sobriety tests. Law enforcement in Maryland is supposed to utilize standardized field sobriety tests. The reliability of these tests can be impacted by numerous factors.

The potential criminal penalties for DUI and DWI are documented by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. The charges can result in the suspension of your driver’s license, the assessment of points, fines and imprisonment. A first offense for DUI can result in one year in jail, the assessment of 12 points, a six month revocation of your driver’s license and a $1,000 fine. Maryland offers interlock programs and requires interlock participation before certain drivers may regain full driving privileges.

Annapolis DUI lawyer, Maria Patterson may be reached at 301-888-4878 to discuss representation for DUI and DWI cases. Her Annapolis office is located across the street from the Maris Apartments and Double T Diner, and close to the Annapolis District Court.

DUI lawyer Maria Patterson has handled dozens of cases involving Driving Under the Influence. Maria Patterson has routinely dealt with toxicology experts, particularly involving cases where injuries were caused by someone charged with driving under the influence.

Attorney Maria Patterson is well versed in the science behind blood alcohol tests, sobriety tests, and their admissibility in court. Criminal attorney, Maria Patterson, has successfully defeated DUI charges in Court.

Prior to handling these cases criminally, Maria Patterson spent over 12 years defending serious personal injury cases for private law firms and for State Farm Insurance Company. She tried over 100 jury trials and hundreds of bench trials before a Judge.