Defending Yourself Legally After Receiving A DUI For A Prescribed Medication

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Most people think of DUI convictions as the result of too much partying and poor decisions, but DUI charges can extend far beyond the usual suspects of alcohol, cannabis, and illegal drugs. Prescription medications can land you in the same legal trouble as recreational drugs, even if you weren't aware of the DUI laws covering them. Any medications that impair your ability to operate machinery should never be combined with driving, but if you have been charged with a DUI over a prescription drug, you may feel that you have been treated unjustly or that the testing methods used were inadequate. Seeking help from a skilled DUI attorney can help you reclaim your life and potentially even have the charges against you dropped altogether. 

Understanding Your Legal Responsibilities on the Road

Whenever you get behind the wheel, you have a legal obligation to other drivers to ensure that you are alert and unimpaired. Certain medications interfere with your ability to drive by slowing your response time, decreasing your coordination or altering your perception of the world around you. Because of this, medications like antidepressants and pain relievers are often prohibited from use while driving, for the safety of both you and the drivers around you. If you are pulled over under suspicion of impairment and are found to have one or more of these drugs in your system, you will likely be charged with a DUI. 

Exploring the Grey Area of Prescription DUI Offenses 

The trouble with prescription medications in DUI cases is that it can be difficult, if not impossible, to accurately measure the drug content in your system. While a simple breathalyzer test can quickly confirm whether or not a person is drunk, it is much harder to determine whether, for example, the Vicodin in a driver's system was enough to cause impairment. This can sometimes lead to wrongful charges, based on the zero-tolerance policies followed by most jurisdictions.  

Demanding Proof of Impairment

If you believe that you were wrongly accused of driving under the influence of a prescription medication, you may be able to fight the charges in court through this line of argument. Without adequate proof of impairment, there may be no real case against you. Whenever you are dealing with a serious and life-changing charge like a DUI, contact an attorney as quickly as possible to protect yourself and start building a defense. Acting quickly and enlisting the support of an experienced DUI attorney could mean the difference between losing your license or jail time and a reduced sentence or dismissal. 

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23 September 2016

take a lawyer to criminal court

Until marijuana is legalized in every state, there will be courtrooms filled with those who are deemed criminals for possessing and using it. If you have been charged with the possession and use of marijuana, you need an attorney. Having gone through this with my son, I know that the courts are not pleased with these charges and things don't always turn out well. This blog will show you several examples of what can happen if you go to court for criminal charges without having an attorney working on your side to protect your rights and reduce the consequences as much as possible.