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A DUI/DWI Primer

The articles referenced on this page contain general information that applies everywhere in the United States. We recommend reviewing these articles to become familiar with the basic concepts and vocabulary of the drunk driving legal system. Please note that each state has it's own laws, penalties and procedures. For specifics as they apply to you, refer to the articles within the state of your arrest.

DUI Laws Explained	DUI Penalties
DUI, DWI, OWI Acronyms Who is DUI law about? DUI Legal Limits What Law Applies? Types Of Chemical Tests Expungement Timing Of Chemical Tests Drugged DUI: DUID DUI In Other Vehicles Common DUI Mistakes	Penalties Intro Plea Bargains Mitigation Witnesses Sentence Enhancements Interlock Devices SCRAM Devices Home Detention Work Release MADD Victim Panels Screening / Treatment Jail and Prison Penalty Mitigation

Dealing With DUI Lawyers	Attorney's Fees and Costs
Do you need a lawyer? Is DUI/DWI a specialty? DUI Attorney Ethics Locate DUI Lawyers Getting the most out of your initial DUI attorney consultation Other professionals who can help with your DUI case Your DUI attorney-client relationship: What to expect What is a retainer and fee agreement? Should you pay for an initial consultation with a DUI lawyer? How much do drunk driving defense lawyers cost? Private DUI attorneys vs. public defenders	Attorneys Fees Intro DUI/DWI Fee Agreements How Much To Expect Payment Plans Experts Fees Contingent Fees Hourly Billing Plans Phased Flat Fee Plans Flat Fee Plans Pay For First Meeting? Pro-bono DUI work: Don't expect a free ride in most cases

Police Investigations and Evidence	Field Sobriety Testing
Your Pre-arrest Rights No Observed Driving Pre-Arrest Screening What To Do If Stopped Officer Observations Sobriety Checkpoints Motorcycle DUIs Safe Harbor Laws Private Property DUI	Field sobriety testing in DUI Cases: General Overview NHTSA's role in field sobriety testing Field Sobriety Test History and Studies Review HGN: Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus: The DUI eye test The "Walk-and-Turn" DUI test The "One-Leg-Stand" DUI test Verticle Gaze Nystagmus in DUI cases Non-standardized field testing: The "Finger to Nose" test Non-standardized field testing: The "Romberg Modified" test Non-standardized field testing: The "Finger Count" test Other non-standardized field tests: aka "party tricks"

DUI Blood and Breath Testing	License, Driving and Insurance
Independent blood testing and second samples Laboratory analysis of DUI blood samples Chain of custody for blood samples in DWI cases Blood draw process in DUI cases DUI blood testing overview Search warrants and forced blood draws in DUI cases Police officer phlebotomy in DUI cases Forensic vs. medical blood tests in DUI cases Preliminary breath tests - aka, junk science at the arrest scene How human factors impact DUI breath tests How to challenge DWI breath test operators: A general overview How to challenge DUI breath test machines: A general overview The different types of breath tests and breath analysis	Driving Privileges Implied Consent Admin Per Se DMVs In DUI Cases Interstate Compact International Licenses DUI Insurance

The Pretrial Court Process	The DUI Trial Process
First Time In Court? Initial Appearances Guilty v. No-Contest? Plea Bargain Rights Prior Convictions Grand Jury Indictments Types Of Motions Procedures At Hearings Challenge The "Science" Probable Cause Reasonable Suspicion Miranda Violations Suppress Statements Independent Tests	DUI Trial Overview Jury Selection Openings/Closings Evidence and Objections Protecting The Record Mid-Trial Motions Jury Verdicts When local law controls What are collateral consequences? What happens at the motions hearing? Challenging scientific evidence in DUI cases A primer on procedural and substantive DUI motions Lack of reasonable suspicion in DUI cases Lack of probable cause in DUI cases Violations of Miranda rights in DUI cases DUI motions to suppress your statements Right to independent test in DUI cases

A DUI/DWI Primer

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