Every day, I see some new meme about people day drinking because they have lost all concept of time and space thanks to COVID-19. And under other circumstances, it might be a cause for concern – but since everything’s closed, you might as well bust out that bottle of scotch you were saving for a special occasion, right? At least no one’s driving.
Except, you know – for the people who are.
Based on a Freedom of Information Act investigation, NBC Washington found that three separate Maryland County police departments recently made about 40 drunk driving arrests over four weeks. The investigation also revealed a series of DUI crashes in one county. In one collision, a drunk driver smashed into a gas station; in another crash, the driver was going the wrong way down a major road. Some drunk drivers were also being arrested for assaulting law enforcement officers after the arrest.
Apparently, Mothers Against Drunk Driving of Maryland got it right: “intoxicated people will seek to drive even without an essential destination.”
Drivers need to understand that even though parts of government have been shut down or stalled, and even though there is less oversight than before the pandemic, you will still be stopped and arrested if you drive while intoxicated. Stopping drunk drivers is still a major priority for police officers because drunk driving often causes fatalities and serious injuries. Court hearings are still taking place in Anne Arundel County, though some hearings are being conducted remotely.
Drunk driving defenses
So: what can you do if you get busted for a DUI? First, call an Annapolis DUI defense lawyer – hint, hint. I may have a few options that will work for you, depending on he circumstances of the case:
- Any breath or chemical tests should be suppressed because the machines weren’t properly validated, because the police officer wasn’t certified to give the test, or because the officer gave the test improperly
- The officer didn’t have authority to stop your vehicle
- The officer failed to give you any field sobriety tests or failed to give those tests correctly.
- The government failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt
Other legal and factual defenses may apply.
At Drew Cochran, Attorney at Law, you work with an Annapolis DUI attorney with the experience and skills to aggressively defend DUI charges and the skills to try to negotiate fair plea bargains especially if there’s any weakness in the government’s case. For help with a DUI charge in Anne Arundel county, call us at 410-271-1892, or use our contact form to schedule an appointment at our Annapolis or Ellicott City office.
And remember: Keep Calm – and Call Drew.
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