Silver Spring Maryland Criminal Defense Legal Blog

It may seem obvious to you to hear that increasing your speed on the highway increases your chances of serious or even fatal injury in an accident. After all, you probably notice that speeds decrease in school zones, heavily populated areas and roads with many cross streets, and this is a matter of safety. Therefore, it may not surprise you to know that the faster the speeds of the vehicles involved in a head-on collision, the more the chances of survival decrease for the drivers and passengers.

A head-on collision often results in catastrophic, life-altering or fatal injuries. Still, worldwide research is finding that slower speeds in areas where you may encounter opposing traffic is one way to reduce the chances of these tragedies.

Whether you walk for pleasure or out of necessity, walking is a great alternative to conventional transportation methods. As a pedestrian, you likely get more exercise than the average person in Maryland does, and you have a greater opportunity to simply enjoy the act of being outside. However, this healthy habit could also be putting you in harm's way. 

Pedestrian deaths are on an upward trend. Despite some attempts to make roadways safer for people on foot, it does not look as though the number of fatalities will go down any time soon. 

You already have one or two DUI offenses on your record. You know that if you get another one, the consequences will are pretty steep. Well, Maryland police recently pulled you over for suspected DUI and now you are facing another DUI charge. What can you do?

The penalties for repeat offenders can be significant. There are administrative and criminal penalties that can hurt you personally and professionally for years to come. This is why the next steps you take to address your current situation matter.

What does luck have to do with field sobriety tests? More than you think. That's because the three tests that make up the Standardized Field Sobriety Test rely on the observations of the officer administering them. As you can imagine, if the officer pulled you over on suspicion of drunk driving, the odds are already against you.

Research shows that several officers trained in administering the SFST come up with different conclusions when observing the same video tape of an individual taking the tests. Some officers said that the individual was impaired while others did not. The fact of the matter is that you could flip a coin to decide whether the officer administering your tests will think you are impaired and arrest you.