Put Your Trust In
It seems like the Minnesota Legislature changes parts of the DWI laws every year that increase penalties on drunk drivers while making the process more easy for officer and courts to convict them. One major change that took effect for offenses occurring on or after August 1, 2015 is creating harsher penalties than ever for many offenders, most notably first…
A ruling in Minnesota’s Court of Appeals may have implications for how state police implement drunken driving laws in the future. The court overturned the conviction of Todd Trahan, who was sentenced to five years in prison after he was arrested for drunk driving in October 2012 in Ramsey County – after having been convicted of DWI several times previously.…
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, Labor Day is the second deadliest major holiday on Minnesota roads. And this is highlighted by the fact that over the last five years there have been 24 deaths at his time of year, thought of by many as the last big celebration of summer. So if you’re off out this weekend, before you…
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety is teaming up with former Minnesota Viking Chuck Foreman to crack down on drunk driving on Super Bowl Sunday. DWI arrests have gone up by 24% during Super Bowl weekend over the past 10 years compared to the weekend before and 18% compared to the weekend after. Extra patrols will be out in Minnesota’s…
Law enforcement officers across Minnesota will be on the lookout for drunk drivers over the holiday period, so motorists beware. The festive safety campaign runs on weekends through December 27 and according to the state Department of Public Safety, during the Thanksgiving holiday period alone 1,624 drivers have been arrested for driving while impaired since 2011. In a press release…
A 36-year-old woman who crashed into a fire station in St. Paul on Friday night has been cited for driving while impaired. Although the station at West Seventh Street and Randolph Avenue was damaged, nobody was injured in the incident. Angela Montoya of St. Paul told police she was driving west on Seventh Street about 9:30 pm when a vehicle…
Drivers who claimed they were not drunk while driving may have been right after all, despite being prosecuted. Somerset County District Attorney Lisa Lazzari-Strasiser said her office in Pennsylvania has not been performing a mathematical calculation needed to convert hospital tests on drivers’ blood, which enable the results to be used as evidence in court, according to the Daily American.…
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…
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…
A Farmington man with three drunken driving convictions in eight years already under his belt was arrested in April by Lakeville Police after he allegedly fell asleep while waiting for food in a restaurant drive-thru. The man, 26-year-old Michael Marshall Simmons, was charged with first-degree DWI and gross misdemeanor driving with a cancelled license, according to the Dakota County District…