Traffic Law DUI/DWI
| Warrantless Inventory Searches of Impounded Vehicles |
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| Under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, every search or seizure by a government agent must be reasonable. In general, searches and seizures are unreasonable and invalid unless based on probable cause and executed pursuant to a warrant. However, certain kinds of searches and seizures are valid as exceptions to the probable cause and warrant requirements. One such exception is an inventory search of an impounded vehicle. Court have upheld inventory searches of vehicles lawfully in police custody, including searches of the passenger compartment, glove compartment, trunk, engine compartments, and any containers in the vehicle. More... |
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| Enhanced Sentencing for DUI/DWI Offenses |
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| There are certain factors which will trigger additional punishment in a drunk driving case. The factors generally considered include: (1) child endangerment, i.e. a child is in the car while driving under the influence of alcohol; (2) speeding above certain levels (20-30 mph over the limit) while driving under the influence of alcohol; (3) having a blood alcohol concentration or breath alcohol test of .15 percent or greater while driving; (4) refusing to submit to a chemical test of blood, breath, or urine when suspected of driving under the influence; (5) an accident, property damage, or injury arising out of driving under the influence; and, (6) prior convictions for a related drunk driving offense. More... |
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| Penalties for Felony DUI/DWI |
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| The penalties for felony driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or driving while intoxicated (DWI) vary depending upon the state. Many of the states have adopted sentencing guidelines that are similar to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Under these guidelines, the states usually provide a sentencing range for each type of offense and provide aggravating and mitigating circumstances that can be used to increase or decrease the sentence. More... |
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| Elements of Criminal Offense of DUI Manslaughter |
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| If a driver's act of drunk driving results in the death of another person, the driver will be charged with some form of homicide. Some states, however, treat the offense as a form of aggravated drunk driving, variously described as, inter alia, "vehicular manslaughter", "manslaughter with a vehicle," "negligent homicide manslaughter," or "DUI manslaughter." More... |
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| Victim Impact Statements in DUI/DWI Cases |
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| Victim impact statements are typically addressed in cases involving drunk driving accidents resulting in serious injury or death. Such offenses are charged as felonies, punishable by incarceration of up to five to seven years in the case of injury and up to 30 years in the case of death. More... |
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