Reading DWI Lawyers
- Dautrich & Dautrich:
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Child Support
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Civil Rights
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Constitutional Law
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Contracts
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Criminal Law
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Custody & Visitation
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Discrimination
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Divorce
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DUI/DWI
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Estate Planning
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Family Law
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Litigation & Appeals
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Motor Vehicle Accidents
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Personal Injury
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Probate & Estate Administration
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Products Liability
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Real Estate Law
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Sexual Harassment
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Traffic Violations
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Trusts
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White Collar Crimes
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Wills
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Workers' Compensation
- Missan, Paul:
A drunk driving conviction can lead to jail time, fines, loss of driver's license, escalating insurance rates and can even negatively affect child custody orders. That is why it is essential to hire a lawyer who is capable of fighting for your rights and minimizing the consequences you are facing.
- Emkey & DelCollo:
A DUI arrest can happen quickly and unexpectedly. Driving home from a wedding, a football game or a happy hour after work, you can suddenly find yourself facing large fines, the loss of your driver's license or even jail time.
- Bernhart, William:
A DUI conviction can have far reaching effects. If you are convicted of drunk driving, it may cost you both your money and your freedom. Traffic violations may lead to the loss of driving privileges. If you are facing a DUI or traffic violation issue, you deserve a lawyer who will look at the complete picture and work to secure a dismissal.
- Feeney & Gurwitz:
DUI & Traffic Violations
In Pennsylvania, a Driving Under the Influence (ŇDUIÓ) criminal charge can carry the following penalties upon conviction:
(1) a criminal record,
(2) mandatory jail time followed by parole,
(3) driverŐs license suspension,
(4) fines in the thousands of dollars, and
(5) the implementation of an ignition interlock device on your vehicle at your expense.
BEFORE pleading guilty to a DUI you should have a trained criminal trial lawyer review the facts of your case.because:
DUI charges can be challenged in a variety of ways, including:
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Unconstitutional actions by the police... an illegal arrest or improper traffic stop will result in a suppression of the evidence,
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Failure to prove that the defendant was driving the vehicle or when it was driven,
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Failure to follow the proper procedures in collecting and testing evidence,
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Improper implementation of the Standard Field Sobriety Tests, and
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Inconclusive or improperly stored blood/breath tests.
You also may bypass traditional prosecution and maybe even avoid a conviction or jail time altogether by successful application into an applicable treatment or diversionary program.
- Campbell, David:
Whether itŐs criminal prosecution or a civil lawsuit, we know how stressful a legal conflict can be. In such difficult situations, the stress and risk increase if you lack solid legal counsel.
- William Bernhart:
Serious legal problems require immediate intervention from a Reading attorney who knows how to protect your rights and negotiate the best possible result according to the facts and Pennsylvania law.
- Roland & Schlegel: All motor vehicle violations are initially handled before a District Justice.
- Paul Missan: In 1996, the federal government enacted the Mandatory Victim Restitution Act (the Act), modifying the process in which federal criminal judges impose restitution orders. Broadly speaking, the Act requires criminals, convicted of federal felony charges, to provide restitution to their victims. In addition, it provides specific procedural rules regarding the manner in which defendants must make such payments, generally depending on the circumstances of the case.
- James Polyak:
Impairment Begins After First Drink Blood alcohol content (bac) varies
from person to person based on gender, weight, food consumption, and
medications or other drugs consumed. However, it doesn’t
take many drinks to reach the new bac limit. Under the new law, a
120 pound woman may be legally drunk after consuming only 2 drinks.
3 Penalty Categories for DUI Offenses in Pennsylvania
Penalties for a DUI conviction increase as the blood alcohol content (BAC) level of the driver increase. The categories that determine the penalties have been set at: DUI general impairment - a blood alcohol level of .08% to .099%; DUI high rate - a blood alcohol level of .10% to .159%; and DUI highest rate - a blood alcohol level of .16% and above, or if the blood test was refused, or if a controlled substance is detected.
How is DUI Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) Measured?
Your BAC is usually determined by breath, blood or urine testing, which is typically performed within 2 hours after you are stopped for suspicion of DUI. Although police officers often use various field sobriety tests once you're stopped for DUI, standardized field sobriety tests only measure your balance and attention and not your BAC. In fact, if you fail a field sobriety test, you can still be convicted of a DUI offense even if your BAC is below .08.
BAC at Time of Driving vs. Time of Testing
It is important to realize that the DUI laws consider your blood-alcohol level at the time of driving, not at the time of the test for alcohol in your system. There is a significant difference, and the fact that you were over the limit when tested, doesn't automatically mean you were over the limit when you were driving. I recently represented a gentleman who was arrested for DUI. At the time of his blood test, he was over the legal limit for DUI. When we went to Court however, I was able to convince the Judge that at the time of driving, my client was not over the legal limit. The charge was dismissed. It is also important to understand that tests, particularly breath tests, are unreliable and susceptible to attack by an attorney who is knowledgeable in the science of blood-alcohol analysis.
How Can I Tell If My Blood Alcohol Content Is High Enough To Get Me In Trouble?
Obviously, the only way to accurately determine your BAC is to take a breath, blood, urine, or other chemical test. However, there are some general rules of thumb that allow you to estimate what your BAC is depending on your weight and how much alcohol you have ingested. An average 170-pound man must have more than four drinks in one hour on an empty stomach to reach a .08% BAC. A 137-pound woman would reach .08% BAC after about three drinks in an hour on an empty stomach. Please understand however, that these figures are rough estimates. Depending on your weight, your metabolism, how much you've eaten and other factors, you may be legally intoxicated even if you have fewer drinks in your system than the average man or woman could legally handle.
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