Bethesda DUI Arrest Process
When someone is booked for a DUI in Bethesda, determinations are made about the charges, charging documents are drafted, then decisions are made about the person’s release. Sometimes, particularly with misdemeanor offenses like DUI charges or driving while suspended charges; the person charged is immediately released on their own recognizance. With Bethesda crimes of violence or when someone has a lengthy criminal history, the police might seek a commissioner to set a bond to have that person’s release secured. However, regardless of whether a person is released or held, the very first chance they get an individual should consult with a Bethesda DUI lawyer to begin building a defense and protecting their rights.
Central Booking in Maryland
Central booking is the central processing station in Bethesda. In Montgomery County, for example, central booking is located on Seven Locks Road in Rockville, Maryland. The Montgomery County Detention Center is located there. People charged with a DUI can be held for a few days pending a hearing or pending release on bond. It is also the place where a bond can be posted and where the police operate from.
Central Booking vs. Jail
Bethesda central booking is where a person is processed or given charging documents when they are held temporarily. There often is a jail at Bethesda central booking where people are held for a lengthier period of time. It is usually a more sophisticated detention center or correctional facility. It is less of a police station and more of a housing facility.
Maryland Medical Facilities in Jail
The Bethesda jail has full medical facilities available with doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals on staff at the jail along with a full-time medical clinic. The only time someone charged with a DUI might be sent out of the jail is when a specialist is required to address a particular medical issue.
Breath Test Expectations
A DUI breath test is offered to somebody after they are alleged to have committed a DUI and are at the jail. After being arrested for a possible DUI, the individual is advised of their rights for taking and refusing the breathalyzer test in Bethesda. They are offered an opportunity to blow into a machine to determine their alcohol concentration at the time they were arrested.
Potential Penalties
A first-time offender may be put in jail for up to 12 months for a DUI in Bethesda. The 12 months of incarceration is a maximum penalty for a DUI-related offense. The maximum amount of time a person can be incarcerated for a DUI is 12 months if it is their first offense. For more information on the Bethesda process after a DUI arrest, an individual should reach out to a local attorney experienced in DUI law.
MVA Hearings
Once someone requests a formal review hearing, they should contact an accomplished DUI lawyer. A Bethesda DUI lawyer can obtain police reports, video surveillance, and medical records that might be important to the finder of fact in determining why a certain disposition or series of events took place between the person and the officer.
The attorney can make sure those are presented at the appropriate time to minimize the consequences imposed by the Motor Vehicle Administration.
Losing a Hearing
If the individual being charged loses one or more Bethesda DUI hearing, they may suffer the consequences of a suspension of their privilege to drive or they may be given an opportunity for modifications of that suspension depending on the facts and issues of the case and the judge’s temperament.