DUI & DWI Attorneys
Representing Men in DUI and DWI Since 2007
Nearly 7,300 alcohol-related crashes plagued Virginia in 2017, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)1. As attorneys representing men facing DUI and DWI charges, we know that is a gritty statistic that few people would celebrate. Coupled with the 248 alcohol-related deaths in crashes for the same year, that statistic tells us that Virginia has a drinking problem — a drinking and driving problem.
Yet should the solution to that problem rest entirely on your shoulders? When you are stopped by a law officer on a suspicion of driving while under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI), you deserve vigorous, fast legal representation.
DUI & DWI Stats in Virginia
Virginia’s men face daunting odds when charged with DUI or DWI. The DMV tells us that the state chalked up more than 18,700 convictions for DUI in 2017. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advertise something the professional counselors of The Firm For Men have long known: Virginia’s men die far more frequently in DUI and DWI-related crashes than Virginia’s women.
What are Your Rights When Charged with DUI or DWI?
Various strategies designed to stop DUI and DWI crashes may seem to infringe on your rights, yet they are perfectly legal in Virginia. Sobriety checkpoints, for example, can be effective in stopping the dangerous, intoxicated driver. Yet those same checkpoints can, if incorrectly administered, trample on your freedoms.
Did the law enforcement agency notify the public of the location of the checkpoint ahead of time? That’s part of the law, too. Did officers stop every fifth car, or did they stop drivers who “appeared” intoxicated? If they followed a mathematical formula (every fifth car, a car every five minutes), they are within the law. If they stop you based on suspicion, they may have infringed your rights.
How, in your fear, anxiety or outright panic, can you be sure the checkpoint was administered in a legal and proper way?
How can you be sure whatever the law enforcement officers did was perfectly legal?
Mopeds, Watercraft, and Boats
Just about any conveyance is fair game for Virginia’s law officers to consider for a DUI charge. Say you know you may be a bit out of sorts to safely drive your BMW home. You opt instead for a slow-moving moped, confident no officer will bother with you on a little underpowered two-wheeler.
You would be wrong. DUI/DWI attorneys at The Firm For Men know that DUI laws apply to mopeds. They also apply to all boats and watercraft.
Refusing a Breathalyzer Test
Virginia’s jails are full of jailhouse lawyers, shocked that their scant knowledge of the law did not serve them well. Real attorneys, experienced in dealing with Virginia’s DUI laws, know that you give tacit consent to undergo a breath test when you choose to drive on Virginia’s public roads.
That means you cannot refuse a breath test if a law officer stops you. Refusal results in loss of your license for one year. Trying to fall back on your misunderstanding of the true laws of the Commonwealth, instead of partnering with competent lawyers, is a fast way to lose your license, your car, and your freedom.
Criminal Record for DUI & DWI Arrest
Yet another card is stacked against you when facing a DUI/DWI arrest or charge. Your previously spotless history will suddenly carry the taint of the conviction. Virginia reports your information to the Central Criminal Records Exchange. Now you have a criminal record.
Many employers will choose to part ways with you once you have a criminal record. The employers are within their rights to do so. And, again, ignore the jailhouse lawyers and bar-room barristers who claim records can be expunged through some secretive, elaborate process. They cannot be expunged.
Field Sobriety Tests (FST)
A Field Sobriety Test (FST) is fraught with risks. But to whom? Sure, you may be quaking in your sneakers worried about passing an FST, but the officer needs to be concerned, too.
Is the test being conducted absolutely according to guidelines? What are the lighting conditions? Is the road slick with oil, wet leaves, or rain? Are you taking the FST on level ground?
What if a breath test and an FST contradict each other?
Huge Stakes: Military Men & DUI Charges
Beyond the high stakes any Virginia man contends with when facing a DUI charge in the Commonwealth, what if you also serve in our nation’s military? The pressure ratchets up enormously.
As a military man, you cannot afford to lose everything — a distinguished military career, a comfortable retirement, excellent benefits, your security clearance — with a weak defense against a DUI charge.
At the very least, you may face a reduction in rank. You may even face a court martial. If your driving license is revoked, you may be unable to fulfill your military duty.
For many servicemen, the scorn, disdain and shame they bring to their unit from a DUI charge is the worst part of the ordeal. With such huge stakes, you need a strong legal team by your side.
Your Best DUI Strategy
Faced with DUI or DWI charges in Virginia, where can a Virginia man turn for help? To the experienced, able DUI attorneys at The Firm For Men. An experienced DWI attorney could be your best path out of a terrible predicament. They are your single best strategy to emerge with the least amount of pain, financial distress, or damage to your reputation.
What can an attorney from The Firm For Men do for a man charged with DUI or DWI? Question everything. Gather evidence. Examine reports. Push back against the slightest hint of erosion of rights and freedoms. And much more.
What were the road conditions? How many other cars were stopped within hours of your traffic stop? How did officers treat you? Were conflicting police reports filed? What evidence did they gather, and how did they handle it?
With more actions by law enforcement, a good DUI attorney has more opportunities to find errors in law administration. Was the FST administered correctly? How well trained were the officers administering the breath test?
Charged with DUI or DWI? Call The Firm For Men
After recovering from the shame, fear and humiliation of a DUI charge and, potentially, a night in jail, you emerge with too many questions and not enough answers.
Who do you ask? The corrections officers are too busy. The public prosecutor wants to put you behind bars permanently. The police are your adversaries, not your allies. Where can you turn?
You owe much to yourself, your family, and your employer. Worry about money later; right now, engage the services of a good DUI/DWI lawyer. You have too much at risk to do anything less than partner with the area’s most experienced DUI attorneys, the professionals at The Firm For Men.
Unlike law enforcement, jail personnel, or public prosecutors, we will listen to and answer every one of your questions. We will find out the facts, argue zealously in your defense, and do our best to preserve and protect your rights, your finances, and your reputation.
When you face the very real fear of time behind bars from a DUI or DWI charge, turn to the experienced DUI defense attorneys of The Firm For Men. If you’ve been charged with DUI or DWI, telephone us at (757) 383-9184 today. We respond promptly, we fight hard to defend your rights, and we are fully engaged with helping Virginia’s men, no matter the challenge.
1. https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/safety/crash_data/crash_facts/crash_facts_17.pdf