HomeCategoryDUI Archives - The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer

The Maryland MVA administrative hearing is the parallel proceeding that decides whether a driver keeps a license after a DUI arrest. The hearing operates on a ten day deadline that runs whether the driver acts or not. A driver who requests the hearing in time preserves the right to challenge the automatic suspension; a driver who misses the window forfeits that challenge entirely. This guide walks through the two track structure, the ten day window, the hearing procedure at the Office of Administrative Hearings, the procedural challenges that drive most successful outcomes, and the ignition interlock alternative.

A commercial driver's license holder convicted of DUI faces a one year federal CDL disqualification on a first offense, even when the offense was in a personal vehicle. A second offense produces lifetime disqualification. The 0.04 BAC threshold for commercial vehicle operation is half the standard 0.08 threshold. Probation Before Judgment does not save the CDL because federal regulations treat PBJ for DUI as a disqualifying disposition. This guide walks through the federal framework, the 0.04 threshold, the reporting requirements, the PSP and MVR record systems, and the defense strategies that protect the career.

Maryland legalized adult recreational marijuana use in 2023, but driving while impaired by marijuana remains a criminal offense under Transportation Article § 21-902. Unlike alcohol DUI, marijuana DUI has no per se threshold; the State must prove actual impairment rather than merely THC presence. Detection of THC in blood can extend to days or weeks after consumption. This guide walks through the statutory framework, the detection-versus-impairment problem, the role and limitations of drug recognition evaluations, the SFST validation issue with marijuana, and the defense strategies for marijuana DUI cases in Prince George's County.

Your first DUI court date at the Hyattsville District Court at 4990 Rhode Island Avenue is the most important appearance in the case. The judge forms an impression in the first sixty seconds, the prosecutor evaluates the file in roughly the same time, and the decisions made that morning often shape the entire disposition. This guide walks through what to expect before arrival, what happens inside the courtroom, the bench-versus-jury trial decision, the mitigation that works at sentencing, and the defense strategy for the Hyattsville DUI docket.

A complete guide to defending DUI and serious traffic charges in Prince George's County, Maryland. The case travels two parallel tracks: the criminal case in the District Court of Maryland at Hyattsville or Upper Marlboro, and the MVA administrative case where the license is at stake within ten days of the stop. This article walks through Maryland's DUI statute under Transportation Article § 21-902, the standardized field sobriety battery, the breath test and DR-15 advice form, the implied consent framework, the MVA hot spots from the Capital Beltway to MGM National Harbor, the CDL and federal workforce consequences, the repeat offense framework, drug and marijuana DUI, related serious traffic offenses (reckless driving, suspended license, hit and run, vehicular manslaughter), and the path from citation to disposition.