DWI
Addiction – Fairfax criminal lawyer on breaking addictive behavior
Addiction is an issue for numerous criminal defense clients, particularly in DUI, drug possession, and sex cases alleging child pornography and indecent liberties. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I repeatedly recommend substance programs to my Virginia DUI and drug clients, and psychological counseling for clients...
Talking with police opens cans of worms – Virginia DUI lawyer
Talking with police is not required, but a slew of criminal suspects run their mouths with cops, often to their detriment. As a Virginia DUI lawyer, I have repeatedly seen the gold from criminal defendants' remaining silent with police and the feces that comes from...
Community Service Options for Virginia DUI & Criminal Defendants
Community service often is important to assist with DUI/ DWI/ criminal case negotiations and any court sentencing. As a Virginia DWI lawyer, my clients often ask about their community service options, so I list them here for the convenience of all. My clients also ask...
Commercial driver licenses risks from VA DUI and other convictions- Fairfax DUI lawyer
Commercial driver licenses ("CDL") issued in Virginia are at risk for a whole host of convictions for Virginia criminal charges and traffic infraction charges. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles website here provides an overview of these CDL risks from such driving convictions as DUI/driving...
Virginia DWI Defense Law – Defending Against a Test Refusal Charge
The Virginia prosecutor has the burden to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant unreasonably refused to submit to a breath or blood alcohol test; the defendant does not need to prove s/he reasonably refused (although having a good reason to refuse can help...
A sampling of recent case successes
Most criminal defense lawyers have a high number of clients who actually committed a criminal act. That reality does not automatically preclude an outright acquittal or dismissal.
DWI laws dilute respect for the criminal law
In 2000, federal highway legislation shoved mandatory criminalization of a 0.08 blood alcohol level in DWI cases down the states’ throats under the penalty of otherwise losing federal highway funding. A 0.08 blood alcohol level is so easy to reach that anybody who drives after...
Self improvement links and steps for your Virginia criminal & DUI defense
Self-improvement / rehabilitation — what I sometimes also call homework — can sometimes help criminal defendants with case negotiations with the prosecutor, and with any case sentencing in the event of a conviction. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know it is ideal criminal defendants to talk...
The wind of a prosecutor’s condescending words
One day I was speaking with a taijiquan teacher about yelling people. He replied: “Why try to figure them out? It is just wind.” That advice is great for staying powerfully calm and unrattled in the face of someone exploding in an unjustified tirade. However,...
Winning a DWI trial by putting our own traffic stop witness on the stand
It is St. Patrick’s Day evening, and a police officer testifies at my client’s bench DWI trial that he stopped my military-enlisted client for blowing a traffic light that was solid red for my client at all times, with the officer driving a few car lengths behind...