When you are charged with drunk driving, you never know what kind of sentence you are going to be facing.  You could catch the judge on a good day and get free with nothing more than a slap on the wrist and a fine, or you could receive a criminal conviction and get sentenced to jail time.  Since you can’t predict which way the wind might be blowing, or how the judge will respond to your case, it is essential to always have a DUI attorney on your side who will ensure that the best outcome is reached for your case and ideally charges are dropped whether the judge is feeling lenient or wants to play hardball.

Just don’t push your luck too far.  A Maryland man was arrested for drunk driving this week and charged with a D.U.I. after hitting a car while allegedly driving under the influence.  The catch to this case is that the alleged perpetrator crashed into the judge who had given him a light sentence on prior DUI charges.  Judge Collier had decided not to give jail time in 1998 to the very man that hit his vehicle even though at the time the perpetrator had been arrested for driving under the influence twice in a three month time span.  It is unlikely that this judge, who sustained injuries along with his wife during the accident, will ever be so nice again.   It is also unlikely that even a criminal defense attorney will be able to help this man avoid bars this time, but he will need to retain the representation of a D.U.I. lawyer to make sure the charges do not become more severe than a misdemeanor.   Perhaps the perpetrator needs to serve a little time to learn his lesson.

Judges are not the only officials who may be cracking down on suspected drunk drivers.  Cops in states such as New York are starting to use “ghost” police cars.  These new cars are all white, including the police decals, which are barely visible.  So basically, a driver will not see the police car until it is too late and they have already given the officer reason to make a traffic stop and perhaps an arrest on charges of driving while intoxicated.   If you get caught by the “ghost,” DUI attorneys are the only ones that have the experience and knowledge to save you from the boogeyman. 

On Patrol and Almost Undercover: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/nyregion/28ghost.html

Alleged Drunk Driver Hits Judge He Faced in 1998: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/04/12/us/AP-US-ODD-Drunk-Driving-Judge-Hit.html?scp=1&sq=alleged%20drunk%20driver%20hits%20judge%20he%20faced%20in%201998&st=cse