Sleeping Off a Drunken Stupor in Your Car Can Land You in Jail After responding to a noise complaint, Virginia police observed a man sleeping in his vehicle that was parked in his private driveway. Of importance is the fact that the man’s key was in the ignition and was turned backward to activate the…
One common misconception is that a person has to have a specific number of drinks in order to be in danger of a drunk driving charge. The reality is that how much you have to drink and how it affects your body, compared to how the same amount may affect a friend varies greatly based…
The Supreme Court ruled this week that police must usually obtain a warrant before making a suspected drunk driver submit to a blood test. In an 8-to-1 vote, the court ruled on a case from Missouri where a state trooper drove a suspected drunk driver to a local hospital and ordered the man’s blood be…
A judge’s ruling in a Pennsylvania DUI case has officials reevaluating cases not only in that county, but across the state and may have implications on even a larger scale. Judge Lawrence F. Clark Jr. ruled that breathlyzer machines used by law enforcement to measure the intoxication level of drivers cannot be accurate beyond a…
The United States Supreme Court seemed unlikely to allow law enforcement to typically force suspected drunk drivers to give a blood sample if officers hadn’t at least attempted to obtain a warrant from a judge after hearing arguments this week in a Missouri case. The state of Missouri, along with support from the Obama administration, argued in…
A Virginia driver is facing charges after a serious accident in a work zone early Friday morning that injured three Virginia Department of Transportation workers. According to reports, the crash occurred about 3 a.m. on Interstate 264 eastbound near the Broad Creek Bridge. Officials said 32-year-old Jahmell Dushawn Riley quickly changed lanes before driving into…
A new law took effect last month and will affect all drivers convicted of drunk driving in Virginia. The new state law requires all first-time offenders who have a blood alcohol level of more than .08 to have an ignition interlock device installed in their primary vehicle. Before the law took effect, only drivers with…
A Howard County police officer was struck by a woman allegedly driving under the influence Friday night, near Ellicott City. According to reports, 45-year-old Sung Ok Jang was driving a Kia Sorento when she hit the officer’s Dodge Charger just before midnight on Route 40 at Route 29. The officer’s vehicle had its lights on…
A Northern Virginia man was charged with driving under the influence, refusal to submit a blood or breath test and felony manslaughter in the accident that claimed the life of a 19-year-old Virginia Commonwealth University student from Virginia Beach. According to reports, 23-year-old Varinder Chahal of Springfield, Va. was driving his 2004 Mazda westbound on…
A first-time DUI offender may have to use an ignition iterlock device if a bill that is moving forward in the General Assembly becomes a law. According to reports, the bill that was introduced by Delegate Sal Iaquinto (R) of Virginia Beach would require all those convicted of driving while intoxicated to have the device…
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