Norman criminal defense blog
Drunk driving charges can quickly ruin a holiday season
With the holiday season here, everyone needs to ensure that they have a way to get home if they are going to engage in any of the festivities. One thing that can quickly ruin the holidays is getting a drunk driving charge. This comes with considerable life impacts, so it is best to avoid driving while you are impaired.
If you are facing criminal charges for drunk driving, you need to get to work on your defense quickly. Not only do you have to think about the criminal justice aspects of the matter, you also have to address the administrative penalties that can lead to you losing your driver's license. We know that trying to stay on top of everything can be rather difficult, but we are here to help you.
What is prescription drug monitoring?
You probably have a certain expectation of privacy when it comes to your medical care. You may even assume that what medications you are on is something that you can keep between you and your doctors. However, the government now has a way to peek in on what's happening with your prescriptions. That can spell trouble.
What is prescription drug monitoring?
Beware of all forms of impaired driving this holiday season
With the start of the holiday party season near, it is essential that anyone who is going to consume alcohol ensure that they have a way to get home that doesn't involve them driving. Many people don't realize that alcohol isn't the only thing that can impact your ability to drive. There is also a chance that you might be too impaired to drive if you take any drugs -- including prescription and over-the-counter ones.
Even taking something as seemingly harmless as allergy medication can cause a problem when you have to drive. You can even face criminal charges for driving under the influence of medications that can impact you, so be careful about what you take if you are going to be driving.
New law provides chance to keep your license after DUI
One of the unavoidable consequences of a DUI conviction is the loss of your driver's license. For a first offense, you may be fortunate to avoid jail time, but losing your license is almost certain. Can you imagine being unable to drive for a year or even a month? How would you get to work? How would you take your children to their activities? How could you complete the many tasks and errands that require driving?
Driver's license suspension is a separate process from the criminal phase of a DUI case. In fact, it is possible to avoid a DUI conviction in criminal court and still lose your driver's license, such as if you refuse to comply with Oklahoma's implied consent law. Implied consent requires you to submit to a blood alcohol test after your arrest for DUI, and the penalty for refusing is the automatic revocation of your license for 30 days. However, a new law may change that.
Carefully consider first-degree murder defense options
People who are facing a first-degree murder charge are in a fight for their life. When you are in this position, you should evaluate your possible defense options quickly so that you can start planning a strategy to address the prosecution's claims against you.
One of the first things that you need to do is to evaluate the circumstances of the killing, so you can determine where to begin with your defense. In many cases, you will put multiple elements together to present a comprehensive look at your claims.
Many impacts come when a person is addicted to drugs
Drug abuse is a societal problem in this country that has shifted to a criminal action with the passage of laws outlawing substances that are classified as unsafe. While this was done to reduce the impact that these drugs have on society, little consideration was given to how facing these charges would impact an addict. Unfortunately, the focus is more on punishment instead of rehabilitation.
Using drugs has many effects on the user. The most prominent of these is often the health impacts. With drug usage comes an increased chance of life-long medical conditions like AIDS, which is more common for people who use the drugs intravenously. Bacterial infections, mental health conditions, viral illnesses and tuberculosis are all possible.
Marijuana as a factor in impaired driving cases
Marijuana is no longer seen as a highly dangerous drug by many people in society. Despite that point, there are some very strict laws that still stand against this drug. One of these has to do with driving while you are under the influence of it. The law sets a standard of .08 percent blood alcohol concentration for individuals who have been drinking, but there isn't really a valid, legally agreed-upon measure for marijuana.
It isn't ever a good idea to get behind the wheel if you have been consuming marijuana. If your behavior suggests that you are impaired, you will likely face criminal charges. This is usually determined through a standardized field sobriety test.
Pro se laws require careful attention in defense strategies
There are laws against drunk driving in every state, including Oklahoma. All states also have a limit for the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) percentage that a driver can have without being automatically considered impaired. In Oklahoma, the limit is .08 percent for people who can legally consume alcohol.
The legal limit is also the per se limit in the state. Once a person has a BAC that meets or exceeds it, they are automatically presumed to be drunk. This doesn't mean that they don't have the opportunity to present a defense against the criminal charges. It means that the officer will arrest them for drunk driving.
Drug abuse and alcoholism can lead to violent acts
It is a widely accepted fact that drug use can lead to some other criminal activities. Unfortunately, some of these are violent crimes. The correlation between violent behavior and drugs is one that has to be controlled or the person who is addicted to drugs will likely face a charge for it.
More than 75% of individuals who receive drug addiction treatments note that they have acted violently. Around 50% of females and around 72% of men attempt violent actions prior to seeking treatment.
Is your college student facing DUI charges in Oklahoma?
When your son or daughter went off to study at one of Oklahoma's colleges or universities, you probably expected this to be a great learning experience. An extended time of independence can allow your child to grow and mature in many ways, and that includes learning from his or her mistakes.
However, if you received a call from your child who informed you the police had arrested him or her for drunk driving, you may wonder if this is a good time to teach your child a hard lesson or to step in and help. While allowing your child to face the criminal justice system without your help may indeed teach a lesson he or she will never forget, it may also result in damages from which your child may never recover.
