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New Mexico is launching a controversial new program this June that will use Twitter to publicize the cases of repeat DWI offenders in the state and will identify the judges overseeing the cases. New Mexico has partnered with the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), giving the nonprofit organizat...

Under both state and federal law, certain crimes are subject to mandatory minimum prison sentences. These are pre-determined sentences that must be handed down by the judge, regardless of the circumstances in the case. These sentences have led to harsh prison terms for minor crimes because the ju...

A conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) in Washington carries penalties that can drastically change your life. Not only is there the financial strain of a steep fine and even the potential for spending time in jail, depending on the circumstances of the arrest, but there is also a leng...

The United States has some of the best universities and colleges around. Every year students from all over the world come to study at these prestigious academic institutions. In order for students from other countries to study at an American school, they must first obtain a student visa. Accordin...

The teenager who made famous the "affluenza" defense was sentenced to 720 days in jail this week. Ethan Couch was tentatively ordered by Texas District Judge Wayne Salvant to spend the next two years in jail. According to CNN, jail time was always a possibility for the teen when Couch's probation...

Driving under the influence can have significant consequences as a 20-year old Georgia man learned in early April of 2016. Jorge Solis was sentenced to 75 years in prison for causing a fatal drunk driving crash that left three people dead and two more injured. The accident occurred on Father's Da...

A twenty year-old Washington Woman pleaded guilty Tuesday, March 8, for Vehicular Homicide caused by driving under influence. The trial resulted from a car accident that occurred on November of 2014, when Marisa M. Twinn swerved off of State Route 223, throwing forty year-old Sondra B. Ashlock from the vehicle. Ashlock and two other passengers were injured and taken to the hospital where Ashlock was thereafter pronounced dead. Twinn had blown a 0.152 on a breath test administered after the accident.

Washington State law enforcement officers engage a variety of field sobriety tests if they suspect a person is driving under the influence. The three main tests that are typically employed include: the One Leg Stand, Walk and Turn, and the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test. These tests are not perfect, however, and are one area that may be challenged in a Washington DUI case.

Seattle Police Department failed to respond to a DUI accident in January 2016. Those involved in the accident waited nearly four hours for SPD officers before finally calling Washington State Patrol. WSP sent an officer who arrived on the scene within minutes. SPD’s Chief aired her criticism of the incident and is seeking further review and investigation.

On January 19, State Penitentiary Nurse Rebecca Anne Smylie Groom pleaded guilty to a felony charge of Vehicular Assault by Driving Under the Influence. Vehicular Assault by DUI is a serious crime with consequences ranging from jail time, a fine, driver’s license suspension, the loss of voting rights, and other consequences. An attorney experienced in Vehicular Assault by DUI defense can help develop a strategy to challenge the prosecution’s case.

Washington Lawmakers are working to strengthen DUI laws with the introduction of HB 2700. The bill would create, among other things, more stringent ignition interlock requirements. Ignition Interlocks are typically employed as a penalty for a DUI arrest or conviction.

Laws focused on driving under the influence have greatly evolved over the years as researchers studied how drinking affects a person's abilities behind the wheel. In the past, the United States was much more lenient when it came to a person’s BAC level and their ability to drive -- making the first legal BAC limit 0.15%. Despite the accuracy and advancement of the Breathalyzer in determining a person’s BAC level, defenses may be available even if a person blows into a Breathalyzer.

Being drunk in public was not always taken so seriously until the advent of the motor vehicle. As driving while under the influence became a serious threat to public safety, many were developing inventions to more easily test whether someone was intoxicated while in control of a motor vehicle. From the very first device know as the Drunkometer,on through to the Breathalyzer, these devices revolutionized DUI charges and in states like Washington, refusing to submit to blowing into a breathalyzer can cause dire consequences.

Sergeant Jim Porter of Kitsap County Sheriff’s Department recently announced plans to retire after heavy media coverage of his October 2015 DUI incident. Newly discovered information reveals the Sergeant’s high-level involvement in the Department, and even his less than optimal driving record while on duty.

Washington state has experienced a decade-long decline in DUI charges. Among the many factors causing this phenomena include fewer officers patrolling the roads, harsher laws and penalties, and maybe even mobile-ride services like Uber. States such as Florida are also experiencing similar declines in DUI charges.

Testing DUI suspects for marijuana intoxication has always been a difficult issue for law enforcement. Washington State University is currently part of a worldwide effort to develop a reliable THC breathalyzer for officers. And in Colorado, the State Patrol is currently in the midst of a pilot program using saliva samples of drivers to test for the presence of marijuana.

With the passing of ballot Initiative 502 in 2012, Washington became the second state to legalize marijuana use recreationally. Since then, DUI laws have evolved to account for marijuana impairment while driving -- and statistics are coalescing to include marijuana-related DUI cases. One question is still up for debate -- are drivers less safe simply because active THC is being detected in DUI tests?

Lucas McQuinn, 29, faces six and a half years of prison time after pleading guilty to vehicular homicide for a June 2015 crash that killed bicyclist Andres Hulslander. Read Aaron Wolff’s analysis of Washington’s Vehicular Homicide law, the associated punishments, and how to challenge such charges in a Washington court.

Washington Lawmakers are currently in the process of seeking harsher DUI penalties for repeat offenders with House Bill 2280. Read one critic’s perspective on the proposed law as compared to other alternatives, such as chemical-dependence treatment, and what Washington Law currently says about chemical-dependence treatment in DUI cases.

Washington Lawmakers are currently in the process of seeking harsher DUI penalties for repeat offenders with House Bill 2280. Read one critic’s perspective on the proposed law as compared to other alternatives, such as chemical-dependence treatment, and what Washington Law currently says about chemical-dependence treatment in DUI cases.

The 2016 Denver Broncos - Carolina Panthers Super Bowl was an exciting game. Many fans indulged in their beverage of choice during the game, including Uber driver Robert Wing, who was arrested for a DUI while en route to pick up passengers after watching the game at a local bar. While Uber has a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol or drug use, this and similar incidents may tarnish the ride-hailing service’s reputation for safety.

A DUI charge comes with very harsh penalties, especially in the State of Washington -- one of the strictest states regarding drunk driving violations. Still, a hidden consequence that comes after a DUI charge is insurance rate increases. A study released last year by NerdWallet highlights the average insurance rate increases that a Washington Driver will face following a DUI conviction. Despite these increases, there are steps that can be taken to help mitigate these expenses and keep your insurance premiums low.

A report released in December of 2015 by Public Financial Management highlights the issues facing Washington State Patrol: including complaints of unhappiness with the management of the agency, attrition due to underpayment, and a staff who is nearing retirement. It is uncertain how the struggles of the agency will affect DUI convictions in the future as there will be fewer troopers patrolling the state’s highways.

The end of this summer, David Griffin, former police officer and the President of Prince Edward Island’s Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada, pled guilty to impaired driving and resigned from his leading position at MADD. Griffin, however, was not the first MADD president to be caught driving under the influence, as four years prior, former president of a Florida Chapter was found in a very similar situation. Still, in Canada, DUI charges are taken very seriously -- often with stricter laws than seen here in the United States, including Washington State.