Tag Archives: dui
Lancaster County District Attorney Wants Tougher DUI Penalties
If the Lancaster County District Attorney has his way, the potential penalties for driving under the influence (DUI) could get much more stringent. The state’s DUI laws have not been updated in 10 years, and the DA is working on an effort to overhaul the system. Among DA Craig Stedman’s recommendations is a provision that […]
Pennsylvania Officer Arrested for DUI After High BAC Test Results
In an alarming bit of irony, an officer from Pennsylvania Liquor Control Enforcement has been charged with driving under the influence after he was pulled over with an extremely high blood alcohol level. The 34-year-old officer, Michael Rutkowski of Nanticoke, was tested for alcohol consumption after getting into a car accident when officers found that […]
Lancaster County Using Ankle Bracelets to Help Prevent DUIs
Lancaster County is about to put some brand-new technology on display for people who have been convicted of repeat DUIs. Beginning in 2015, all people who receive a repeat DUI charge in the county will face stricter conditions of bail. In addition to being forced to abide by strict curfews and random alcohol and drug […]
Potential Legal Consequences of DUIs
As attitudes toward driving after drinking have changed over the last couple decades, the laws have changed as well to become harsher on people charged with DUIs. In most states, you could face conviction if you have a blood alcohol content level equal to or greater than .08 while behind the wheel, or if you […]
Potential Defense Strategies for DUI Charges
Pennsylvania, like the rest of the United States, takes charges of driving under the influence (DUI) extremely seriously. People convicted of DUI charges face a wide variety of possible punishments, ranging from having to use interlock ignition devices to being sentenced to jail time or serious fines. However, there are certain defense strategies available to […]
Pennsylvania Legislature Passes Ignition Interlock Bill
In an effort to address Pennsylvania’s drunk driving problem, the state Senate approved a bill that will require DUI offenders whose blood alcohol concentration exceeded 0.10 to install ignition interlocks in their vehicles. The bill passed unanimously 50-0, and will proceed to the House, where it is expected to be approved. While ignition interlocks have […]
Tougher Pennsylvania DUI Laws Ineffective at Reducing Drunk Driving
When Pennsylvania lowered its legal alcohol limit from .10 to .08 in 2003, the expectation was that the stricter driving under the influence law would act as a deterrent, resulting in safer streets, fewer fatalities and fewer arrests for intoxicated driving. Additional changes in Pennsylvania DUI law mandated longer jail times for repeat offenders. Unfortunately, […]
What Are “Reasonable Grounds” to Compel Chemical Testing for DUI in PA?
Pennsylvania has an implied consent law. Anyone who drives on the commonwealth’s roads has already consented to a blood, urine or breath test to determine the driver’s blood alcohol content level or the presence of controlled substances. But that’s only true when reasonable grounds exist. If the police have reasonable grounds to compel a test, […]
Field Sobriety and Breath Tests—What You Need to Know
The enforcement of laws pertaining to driving under the influence of alcohol and driving under the influence of drugs (DUI and DUID, respectively) are based on a scientific urine, breath, or blood test. Field sobriety tests — administered on-site, where the officer has pulled over the motorist — include both physical or cognitive tests, as […]
Repeat Offenders and Drunk Driving Laws
Public acceptance of drunk driving has diminished considerably over the past 20 years, both in Pennsylvania and nationally. One result of this is that repeat offenses, within a period of ten years, bring harsher penalties with each incident. A single infraction, where a motorist is found guilty of driving under the influence (DUI), can yield […]
