Put Your Trust In
With over 17,000 fatalities and approximately half a million individuals sustaining injuries from alcohol-related crashes each year, DWI/DUI is among the most commonly committed crimes on U.S. roads. In an effort to tackle the problem DWI or sobriety checkpoints are commonplace across the country as many state lawmakers believe that they are an effective way to cut the extremely worrying…
Driving under the influence is against the law, plain and simple. So if you are intoxicated, or even think you may still be over the legal limit; the best course of action is always to wait for the alcohol to leave your bloodstream before you drive. But if you are pulled over by the police, who feel you may be…
Nobody supports the idea of drunk driving, and nobody wants a DWI on their record, yet thousands of Minnesota drivers are arrested every month for DWI. Depending on who you ask, anywhere between thousands to tens-of-thousands more drunk drivers “get away with” committing DWI without being pulled over or arrested. Almost every year, the Minnesota Legislature increases the penalties for…
When you are arrested for DWI in St. Paul or Minneapolis, you are read your Miranda Rights. The Miranda Rights reference some of the rights that are specified in the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It is part of the first ten amendments that were adopted at the same time. They were adopted at the same time because they…
Most drunk driving cases revolve around alcohol testing results. However, the past has proven that the testing can be flawed, such as with the Intoxilyzer 5000. The problem with the Intoxilyzer 5000 was with the source code. At one time, it was the primary method to detect alcohol on a person’s breath. It was later found that there was something…
First-time Hennepin County DWI offenders with a blood alcohol concentration of .19 or less have an alternative sanction called the “One-Day DWI program. This is a program that provides a prompt and consistent response to keep these individuals from becoming repeat offenders. The program combines a victim impact panel, alcohol education, self-assessment, and cognitive therapy to get results. Some clients…
Stearns County is setting up to become one of the first counties in Minnesota to require law enforcement officers to acquire search warrants before they take blood samples from suspected drunken drivers who refuse blood testing. This change is the result of a U.S. Supreme Court decision in a Missouri case that has placed DWI prosecution into a questionable state.…
If you have been charged with a DWI, Hennepin County, Washington County, or whatever other surrounding county you have to go to court in is not going to be easy on you. They all take DWI cases very seriously. In fact, enforcement campaigns are becoming more commonplace throughout Minnesota with law enforcement Tweeting their arrests on Twitter so that the…
The Minnesota Court of Appeals says that the signs of intoxication include bloodshot and watery eyes along with the odor of alcohol. An officer only needs a single objective indication that an individual is intoxicated to constitute probable cause. This is rather frightening in a way because the way the Court of Appeals’ description reads is that anyone who has…
Minnesota police, highway, and patrol officers all use breathalyzer machines when they suspect someone of driving while drunk. They use them to determine blood alcohol content (BAC) by simply having the suspect blow into the machine. If they blow a BAC of .08 or more, then they will be arrested. This first test is called the “preliminary test” and it…