Required
telephone For A Free Consultation Call (301) 761-4842

Impact of DUI Arrest in Anne Arundel County

The exact consequences of an Anne Arundel County DUI arrest will depend on the facts and circumstances of each particular arrest, as well as the judge who performs the sentencing. However, there are common steps, penalties, and probationary conditions, which may be assigned following a DUI arrest. A person facing a DUI arrest should consult with an experienced local attorney to negotiate and navigate all of the different penalties and consequences that they may be assigned.

Immediately After DUI Arrest

Generally, the police will take you back to the individual police station at which they are based after a DUI arrest. This could either be State Patrol barracks if you are stopped by a State Patrol Officer, the Sherriff’s Department, or any one of the Municipal Police Departments in Anne Arundel County.

Most DUIs end with the individual being released on their own recognizance from the station within an hour or two of being taken into the police station. Occasionally, you will be booked into the Detention Center after a DUI arrest and must wait to see a commissioner to determine if you need to deposit a bond in order to be released.

There is no Central Booking in Anne Arundel County.

Anne Arundel County Jails

If you are jailed for a DUI in Anne Arundel County, the maximum penalty for a first offense is one year in jail. This is the maximum penalty, and it is not necessarily realistic. First offenders in Maryland generally do not go to jail for a DUI.

A lesser offense, called driving while impaired (DWI), also exists in Maryland. The penalties for this lesser offense is a maximum period of incarceration of 60 days. Overall, however, there is definitely the possibility of jail for alcohol-related driving cases in Anne Arundel County.

However, if a mandatory minimum exists, the judge must sentence you into that minimum period of incarceration. They can give you credit for time that you may have already spent incarcerated.

Victim Impact Panels

A Victim Impact Panel is a two-hour session run by the Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Anne Arundel County. The panels are not organized by the government. They are run by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which is a private nonprofit organization. Victim Impact Panels are usually held monthly and last about two hours from start to finish. They typically begin at 7:00pm on a weeknight and end at 9:00pm. The Mothers Against Drunk Driving Association gathers all those who have been convicted of a DUI in a month and tell their stories about how their lives have been impacted by drunk driving.

Most judges will require attendance at the Victim Impact Panel meeting for every DUI case that they hear. The judge may order this in addition to any other condition to probation, including paying fines, reporting to a monitor, or doing random alcohol tests. These Panels are often required because it allows for people who have been charged to understand the potential negative consequences of their actions more directly.

GET IN TOUCH WITH OUR
MARYLAND CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEYS