Frederick County DUI Lawyer
A Frederick County DUI lawyer represents defendants who are facing charges of driving under the influence. An attorney can help you try to keep your license, avoid points on your license, and avoid a guilty verdict in court. Get help from an experienced Maryland DUI attorney as soon as you are accused of a DUI offense. En Español.
How a Frederick County DUI Lawyer Can Help
Prosecutors generally use the results of a breath test, blood test, or other chemical test in order to try to convince a jury to hand down a DUI conviction. A Frederick County DUI lawyer can make a motion to suppress this evidence if it was illegally obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment’s prohibitions against unreasonable searches. If police did not have justification for a traffic stop, or to ask for you to take a chemical test, the evidence obtained cannot be presented.
A DUI lawyer can also help to raise doubts about the way the evidence was collected, or about the accuracy of the results. Lab samples can be contaminated and breathalyzers can malfunction. If you can raise doubts, the prosecutor should not be able to prove a case against you beyond a reasonable doubt. This should mean a verdict of not guilty.
In some cases, your attorney may also be able to help negotiate a favorable plea agreement or receive probation before judgment (PBJ) that allows you to avoid a criminal record.
The goal of your Frederick County DUI lawyer is to help you make informed choices and make arguments that will allow for the best outcome possible given the specifics of the case the prosecutor has against you. The sooner you call a lawyer, the sooner you can begin responding in a strategic way to your charges.
DUI Laws in Frederick County
There are two categories of offense for driving after consuming alcohol or drugs in Maryland under Maryland Transportation Code Section 21-902. A person with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher, or someone who is believed to be significantly affected by drugs or alcohol, can be charged with driving under the influence. A person who may have consumed alcohol but who is not over-the-limit can be charged with a DWI, or driving while impaired.
Penalties for DUI are more serious than for DWI. A first DUI carries a potential penalty of up to one year incarceration and a maximum $1,000 fine. The license suspension period for a first DUI is six months and the DUI can result in 12 points on a driver’s license. The penalties become more serious with a past history of repeat offenses.
If you do not want to go to trial to resolve your case, your attorney may be able to convince the prosecutor to drop your DUI charges down to a DWI depending upon the BAC tests and other evidence in the case.
Retain Legal Counsel Today
A Frederick County DUI lawyer is here to help you fight conviction for driving under the influence. Call today to schedule a consultation and learn more about how legal representation can benefit you as you respond to your charges.