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

Columbia Attempting to Elude an Officer Lawyer

Although some people may not understand to what extent they are breaking the law when committing this act, the attempt to elude an officer (AEO) is taken very seriously in the Columbia court system. In order to keep your record free of any potential demerit points, it is crucial to contact a Columbia attempting to elude an officer lawyer immediately. An experienced traffic lawyer can aid in providing a strong defense that can help convince the court that you do not deserve the penalties you have been unjustly assigned.

Elements of AEO

The charge of fleeing and/or eluding police is common in Columbia, because of the many interstate highways and open roads that allow people to do so. In order to be convicted of this charge, the state has to prove that an individual willfully failed to stop after an officer told them to do so. In these situations, it is common for the officer to be in uniform, and to give an individual a signal to stop. The officer must also display a badge, or something else indicating that he or she is a police officer.

An officer might pull someone over for attempting to elude an officer if he or she is driving at a high rate of speed. If an individual turns off their lights on their vehicle in order to make it difficult for the officer to see them, or if they are recklessly driving or erratically driving, the officer may charge them with attempting to elude. In order to avoid the penalties associated with these acts, it is pertinent to hire a Columbia attempting to elude an officer attorney as soon as possible.

A person can expect that this charge will be taken seriously because this type of driving creates a danger to others on the road as well as the police officer. Courts are trying to create a reduction in this type of behavior, so it is very common for them to place high penalties just to deter others from committing this type of offense.

Common Non-AEO Acts

Many times, an officer clocking the speed an individual is moving is not the same as an officer signaling that individual to pull over. Since there has been no signal to stop, an individual is not intentionally fleeing or avoiding an officer if they exit the highway after seeing an officer clock their speed. Further, if an individual is taking extra time looking for a safe place to pull over, it is not attempting to elude an officer. In these cases, an individual can help prove they were simply abiding by the law with the knowledge of a Columbia attempting to elude an officer lawyer.

Prosecution

State attorneys prosecute attempting to elude an officer cases in Columbia. The prosecutor has to prove that the defendant was driving a vehicle and that the defendant was given a signal by the police to stop the vehicle. Also, the police officer must have been in police uniform in any vehicle that can be identified as an official police vehicle. It must also be proven that the defendant willfully tried to elude and/or flee the officer. A Columbia attempting to elude an officer attorney can help defend against any charges the state brings against an individual.

Benefits of an Attorney

A Columbia attempt to elude an officer lawyer can help in these cases because there are many defenses to this charge that may help to keep an individual’s record free of any points.

For example, perhaps the officer was in a vehicle that was not marked as an official police vehicle when he or she signaled for an individual to stop. Instead of stopping immediately, the person proceeded to an area that they reasonably believed was necessary in order for them to stop safely. If this was the case, a lawyer may be able to present this as a defense to the court. As a result, an individual may be able to keep the points off of their license and prevent the MVA from revoking their license due to an accumulation of points.

GET IN TOUCH WITH OUR
MARYLAND CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEYS