Howard County DUI Drug Lawyer
There are two drug specific DUI charges in Howard County which are the 21-902(c) offense and the 21-902(d) offense. The C offense is driving while impaired by prescription drugs or a combination of prescription drugs and alcohol. Then the D offense is driving while impaired by a controlled dangerous substance, some kind of illegal drug or some kind of prescribed medication that you do not have the prescription for.
Regardless of which one you may be facing, both of these offenses are very serious and carry severe penalties including license suspension, fines, and potentially jail time. As a result it is imperative to consult with a Howard County DUI drug lawyer as soon as possible to begin building a defense.
Proving Impairment
If an officer believes that you are driving while impaired by drugs then they have the right to request you to submit to a blood test. You do have right to refuse that test, however, the penalties for your driver’s license are very similar to the penalties for driving under influence where you need to do test for alcohol concentration or breath test. First offense would be 270 days suspension of driving with no modification other than Ignition Interlock.
Can Involuntary Intoxication Be Used As a Defense?
Involuntary intoxication is a defense that can be used by a Howard County DUI drug attorney under certain circumstances. Voluntary intoxication on the other hand obviously is not a defense in a driving under the influence or driving while impaired cases.
Biggest Mistakes in DUI Drug Cases
There are actually two big mistakes to avoid in drug DUI cases. One is agreeing to submit to field sobriety tests just as in an alcohol DUI case. The other is agreeing to speak to a Drug Recognition Evaluator or a DRE officer.
If an individual is arrested for suspicion of driving while impaired by drugs the officer will frequently ask them to conduct an interview with a DRE. The individual has the right to refuse that interview and no additional legal penalties will accrue from that. That interview is designed solely for the purpose of gathering evidence to prove the state’s case of impairment by drugs. So when an individual consents to do that interview it is an enormous mistake in a driving while impaired by drugs case.
Importance of An DUI Drug Attorney
There are a lot of decisions that need to be made very early in a case like this, mostly in relation to your driver’s license. You only have 10 days to ask for a driver’s license hearing and be guaranteed that your temporary license will be extended until the date of your hearing. If you want to enroll in a drug treatment program sooner rather than later and it will make a big difference in presenting the case to the court.
Also you want to give your DUI drug attorney in Howard County as much time as possible to start preparing your defense and to start gathering the evidence that could lead to acquittal in your case.