Don’t Wait to Hire a Defense Attorney for your Case in Maryland

   ·         We have several criminal clients who call us the day before trial seeking representation for their           case

   ·         Don’t wait until the last minute to hire a defense attorney in your case because the longer you wait,    the more difficult it is for your attorney to craft a strong defense. Defending against criminal or            traffic charges is a process and not something that can or should be done in a 24 hour period.

   ·         Your chances of a favorable result in your case are more likely if you hire an attorney immediately       after you are charged with a crime or receive a ticket for a serious traffic offense because your             attorney can request discovery and discuss your case with the State’s Attorney

   ·         Time is also important for traffic citations because they have a short period of time for you to either     pay a fine or request a hearing. If you wait until the day before trial to worry about your charges,         you most likely have missed the deadline required to either pay your fine or request a hearing.

   ·         If you are facing criminal charges or a traffic ticket, don’t delay and call Portner & Shure today for    a free consultation 

DUI in Maryland – How Your BAC Will Affect Your Case

In any DUI case, your BAC is the biggest determining factor in the severity of consequences you will face. The only way for the police to obtain your BAC is to submit to a breathalyzer or blood test. If you refuse, the consequences are even more severe because the police have no way of knowing how drunk you actually were, and the assumption is made that you were well over the legal limit.

You can be charged with a drinking and driving offense in Maryland with a blood alcohol content as low as 0.04, however, if your BAC reading is 0.04 or 0.05, will be entitled to a presumption under the law that your driving abilities were not impaired. At a 0.06 or 0.07 there is no presumption and you can be convicted of DWI if the State can prove through your driving behavior or field sobriety tests that you were impaired. At a 0.08 or above, you are automatically considered intoxicated. 

If you refuse the breath test or provide an insufficient sample, you can still be convicted of dui based on your driving behavior and field sobriety tests.  If you knowingly refused the test, this can also be used against you in court as proof that you refused the test because you knew you were intoxicated. 

If you’ve been charged with DUI, there may be defenses to your case regardless of your BAC. Contact Portner & Shure’s criminal defense attorneys today for a free consultation.

Planning to Drive Drunk in Maryland—Beware of Harsh New Consequences

   Starting October 1^st, if you are convicted of a DUI, you will be required to install an Ignition Interlock device in your vehicle. Maryland is now catching up to other states with stricter drunk driving laws. DUI cases are always serious no matter what state you are in, but prior to October 1st, if you were arrested for DUI in Maryland, you were fairly lucky because the consequences were not very severe.  However, now the consequences are much more severe.  For instance, license suspension periods have been increased significantly —first offense with BAC 0.08-0.14=180 days; BAC 0.15 or more=180 days; Refusal=270 days.

   Again,  before October 1^st, anyone convicted of their first DUI in Maryland was not required to have an ignition interlock installed in their vehicle, and in many cases, with good legal representation, these drivers only received a “slap on the wrist.” Now it is more important than ever to hire an attorney if you are arrested for DUI in Maryland because it is more important than ever to avoid being convicted for your DUI.

     If you have been arrested for DUI in Maryland, visit us online at www.portnerandshure.com or call us today at (410) 995-1515 or (301) 854-9000.