Ocean City Springfest DUI Lawyer
Ocean City’s Springfest is a four-day festival that the celebrates the start of the summer season with live music, food, and fun.
At any celebratory event, especially one that celebrates the start of a new season after a long winter, there is an opportunity to overindulge. Additionally, there is likely to be an increased police presence in and around the festival.
As a result, it is likely that there will be numerous driving under the influence (DUI) arrests made during the event.
If you have been charged with driving under the influence while visiting Springfest, an aggressive and skilled Springfest attorney is necessary to protect your rights. To learn more or get started building your defense consult with an Ocean City Springfest DUI lawyer today.
Implied Consent
Implied consent is a law that licensed drivers agree to be held to when they apply for a state-issued driver’s license. Under this law, those that drive on Maryland highways and roads, are subject to the state’s laws, regardless of what state issued their license.
The implied consent law requires drivers to submit to a breathalyzer test if an officer has probable cause or a reasonable basis to request testing.
Out-of-state drivers that do not submit to the breathalyzer test are subject to suspension of driving privilege in Maryland. Maryland licensed drivers that refuse to comply can have their driver’s license suspended and should, therefore, consult with an Ocean City Springfest DUI attorney to discuss their options.
Probable Cause
Being present at Springfest does not establish reasonable grounds for an officer to stop a driver on suspicion of driving under the influence or to request that a driver submit to breath testing. Probable cause requires that the officer have reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed.
Reasonable suspicion or probable cause requires that the officer be able to explicitly express the reason for the belief. Something that “seems suspicious” without anything more that can be articulated does not meet the standard.
An officer that alleges that a Springfest driver drifted into other lanes while driving or witnessed a driver get into the driver’s seat after drinking from a beer container would likely establish probable cause for a DUI stop.
Sobriety Checkpoints
It is possible during an event, like Springfest, when officers suspect that there will be heavy drinking, that officers may set up a sobriety checkpoint or mobile checkpoint. Sobriety checkpoints are legal in Maryland and they are considered deterrents to driving under the influence.
The checkpoint is not designed to target any specific person, but are randomly selected to be most effective method of deterring DUIs. They are an exception to the probable cause requirements that officers must typically observe when stopping a driver on Maryland roads.
Each person passing through a mobile checkpoint is stopped and briefly interviewed. Based on what the officer observes during the interview, she or he may request that a driver submit to field sobriety tests (FSTs).
The scent of alcohol, the driver’s appearance, or open alcohol containers in the car may trigger an officer to request FSTs during a mobile checkpoint.
Contact A Springfest DUI Attorney Today
Springfest is a wonderful celebration where friends and family reconnect, have fun, and begin the start of the new season, but it can also be the place where too much fun leads to a DUI arrest.
If you are charged with a DUI during Springfest in Ocean City, make the right choice by contacting an Ocean City Springfest DUI lawyer for assistance.