Put Your Trust In
Minnesota drivers may be aware of one embarrassing consequence of a DWI conviction. A court may order a driver to register all of his or her vehicles with special plates after a DWI conviction with certain aggravating factors. Many feel the special plates, called “whiskey” plates because they begin with the letter “W,” serve no purpose other than to make…
An arrest for driving while impaired by alcohol is never something to take lightly, especially in Minnesota where drunk driving laws are particularly harsh. Even a first offense can result in severe penalties and long-term consequences, such as financial hardships, job loss or missed opportunities. Those facing charges can improve their chances of avoiding some of these serious issues by…
The Vikings football team may not have won the championship this year, but that doesn’t mean the state does not rank first in many other areas. For example, a recent report shows that Minnesota’s drunk driving laws raise the state to the number one spot for strictest laws in the country. While safety advocates may applaud this trend, those who…
In Minnesota, like most states, a drunk driving charge is usually a misdemeanor. This means it is a less serious crime, but it is never one to take lightly and still deserves a strong DWI defense strategy. A driver convicted of a misdemeanor may serve a short amount of time in jail, if any, whereas a felony may result in…
A drunk driving arrest can be unsettling because it may carry with it the potential for many negative consequences, including jail, probation, fines and other heavy financial consequences. A conviction for driving while impaired can also place a driver’s job and reputation on the line. One Minnesota official is facing that possibility now following a recent arrest and subsequent DWI…
Truck drivers are often responsible for transporting goods that, together with the weight of the truck, may total as much as 40 tons. Traveling at highways speeds or through city traffic, this much weight can mean devastating damage if the driver makes a mistake. Understandably, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has established rigid rules governing those with commercial driver’s…
When police pull over a vehicle and arrest the driver for driving while impaired, the investigation into those charges likely began before the driver stopped. In fact, it is likely that police had their suspicions that the driver had been drinking before they decided to stop the vehicle. Those suspicions and the reason for pulling a driver over will likely…
Like Minnesota and a disturbing number of other states, Michigan faces problems with the breathalyzers it uses during drunk-driving stops. This January, the state stopped a $1.3 million-a-year contract with the company that watches its breathalyzer machines for accuracy. Police, courts and the public generally trusted breathalyzer results without question, until recently. Now, in one story after another across the…
In most cases, courts say police cannot just take your blood and test it. The U.S. Constitution, courts say, demands police get a warrant from a judge first. But last year, by the slimmest margin possible, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with Wisconsin that the state’s “impliedly consented” law allows police to take a driver’s blood and test the alcohol…
Even after having just one drink, alcohol can begin to affect your body and mind. And while it’s always safe to have someone else drive you home, most adults still have the ability to safely make it back with a small amount of alcohol in their system. Across the nation, the legal limit for driving after consuming alcohol is a…