March 20th, 2010
There are many options that you have in front of you when you are arrested and charged with a DUI. Those who reside in the state of Florida should take a look into this simple guide about hiring a Florida DUI attorney. The sooner that you start looking for the best legal aid, the sooner you can put all of this past you.
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March 19th, 2010
Technological advances, and the use of forensic investigators, have proven themselves to help and hurt people’s not-guilty claims. Unfortunately, though, more cases are happening where officials present botched-up evidence or results in important cases. Or, even better, the legal system jumps the gun on a case featuring an accused person and a jury of his peers sends him to jail with a guilty verdict. Then months or years later forensic investigators find evidence to set him free.
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March 18th, 2010
Any criminal lawyer will tell you that the ineffective assistance of trial counsel is one of the most frequently raised claims in state and federal post conviction petitions. Considering the state of most state funded counseling these days, this is hardly surprising. Many state attorneys refuse to investigate their cases before trial, never meet with their clients before the trial, or fail to file any motions or object to inadmissible evidence during the trial. The circumstances of your case come down to the quality of your criminal lawyer. Choosing one may be the most important legal decision you make.
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March 17th, 2010
Being charged with driving under the influence or DUI is a serious offence and should never be considered a simply a minor traffic offence. DUI charges and subsequent convictions can have far reaching and long lasting consequences so you need to consult with a Tampa DUI attorney as soon as possible.
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March 16th, 2010
One of the best ways of performing background check on people is to have access to the federal court records. This database contains essential information relevant to your investigation. The information that you shall get from this lookup contains records of people having court cases that belong to the federal files.
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March 15th, 2010
Many fail to realize just how serious a charge of DUI is and instead treat it as just a minor traffic offense. In reality the consequences of being charged with driving under the influence can be far reaching and last long after you have served any penalty handed down. So if you are facing charges of DUI then you need to hire a Tampa DUI attorney to represent you as soon as possible.
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March 14th, 2010
Assault and battery are both constituents of trespass to the person, which protects the claimant against interference with his or her person. However these acts need to be carried out intentionally, by direct and immediate actions and are actionable per se, meaning no proof of damage is necessary. To the lay citizen these torts are perhaps better recognised as criminal offences and the defendant will normally face criminal rather than civil charges for such actions.
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March 13th, 2010
What is recklessness? - Recklessness is the taking of an unjustified risk; a person could be reckless as to a consequence occurring or to the actual circumstance. However, not all risk-taking is unreasonable; circumstances may exist which justify taking a risk. Whether taking a risk is justifiable depends on balancing of the social utility or value of the activity involved against the probability and gravity of harm which may be caused.
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March 12th, 2010
Some states have a special option for first time DUI offenders call a DUI Diversion Program. If you do not have a previous conviction, have not been on diversion before, and your arrest wasn’t the result of an accident, you might be eligible for such a program. Kansas and Oregon are two states that have DUI Diversion programs, while other states have a more general differed prosecution programs for first time offenders.
Specifically, the diversion program is an agreement whereby giving up your right to a speedy trial and trial by jury, you can avoid a DUI conviction. You will still have to pay fines, in addition to attending alcohol and drug educational classes, and agreeing to abstain from all drugs and alcohol for the duration of the diversion program (typically 1 year).
Expect to be placed under supervision of an diversion officer who may order random drug and alcohol screenings throughout the period of your diversion. If for some reason your fail to meet the requirements of the program, i.e. have your diversion revoked, your criminal case will be resume. Also the diversion will not have any impact on your DMV administrative hearing and your driver’s license will be suspended or revoked per your states laws.
One last note concerning these type of programs, if at a later date you are charge with another DUI or DWI, your previously differed conviction will still be counted as your first charge and you will be treated as a multiple DUI offender.
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March 11th, 2010
With a DUI charge you are possibly facing jail time, community service work, probation and driving privileges. On top of that, the judge in a DUI case can also impose additional monetary penalties. So how bad is it going to get when it comes to DUI fines and fees? That depends greatly upon what state you live in, and even when the arrest was. For example a first time DUI offender in Kansas was fined $1000 in 2000, but that fine was increase to $1500 in 2007. A second time offender in Kansas will be looking at a $2500 fine for a DUI conviction. Keep in mind that the judge has some discretion when ordering the fines so they can be more or less in a given situation.
Also once the amount of the fines has been determined, you will have a limited time to pay it. It is best to be up front with the judge on your ability to pay the DUI fine. Be prepared to make minimum payments on a monthly basis. If an emergency occurs that makes it impossible for you to pay your fine on time, you can ask for an extension from the judge. But this is an option that you can only use once.
Some additional DUI fees you may be faced with:
- Random urine analysis (UAs) lab fees: $25 per, several times a month
- Installation and use of an ignition interlock device; $100 a month
- Drug and alcohol abuse screening: $100
- Mandatory drug and alcohol consoling: $50 per visit, 4 or more visits
- DUI victims panel: $50
- Intensive drug and alcohol rehabilitation: $3000-5000
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