Good Result on DWI Case Today

My client was driving home from work one evening, when she was pulled over for drifting out of her lane by at least a foot on two different occassions.  Following the stop, the state trooper smelled an odor of alcohol and had my client perform certain field sobriety tests, which she failed.  She was arrested, taken to the barracks, where she took a breath test, resulting in a .15, almost two times the legal limit.  The incident occurred in Anne Arundel County, a somewhat conservative jurisdiction, not to mention the fact that my client had a previous DWI arrest just last year in Delaware.

Given the facts of the case, we determined the best way to proceed was to admit guilt and allow me to argue to the judge for an appropriate disposition.  I pointed out to the judge that my client had no prior DWI convictions (the prior arrest in Delaware did not actually result in a conviction), that there was no accident involved in this case, that she had no alcohol in the vehicle, and that she did not live in Anne Arundel County, but was simply passing through on her way home.  I also argued that a major contributing factor to this arrest was that, at the time, my client was working at a club in Baltimore,  and alcohol consumption sort of went hand-in-hand with the job.  However, now  my client has a job as a beautician and I supplied the judge with proof of employment, in the form of recent pay stubs.  I also got the State to agree not to make any sentencing recommendation, but rather to defer to the court.

All in all, things worked out very well, as my client received a disposition known as Probation Before Judgment, which, under Maryland law, is not a conviction, meaning she got no points on her driving record as a result of this incident.

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