Articles Posted in DUI/OVI in the news

Driving-Fast-at-Night-300x200A police officer was recently charged with DUI (called ‘OVI’ in Ohio) and Fleeing the Scene of an Accident.  According to News 13 in Myrtle Beach, the officer is a sergeant who serves as the supervisor of the traffic division.  In our OVI defense practice, we have represented clients suspected of OVI and Failure to Stop After Accident (commonly called ‘Hit-Skip’).  In some cases, the driver is charged only with Hit-Skip.  In other cases, the driver is charged with both Hit-Skip and OVI.  Drivers in those situations also face the possibility of being charged with felony offenses.

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Interrogation-by-officer-300x200When a suspect is in the custody of a law enforcement officer, the officer must provide Miranda warnings before questioning the suspect.  If the officer does not give sufficient warnings, the suspect’s statements made in response to questioning cannot be used at trial.  In a recent DUI Murder case in California, Miranda violations resulted in an appeals court ordering a new trial.

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Employee-Handbook-300x186Following his recent arrest for DUI (called ‘OVI’ in Ohio), Bob Huggins resigned from his position as the men’s basketball coach at West Virginia University.  His situation is illustrative of many high-profile individuals who have lost jobs due to a DUI/OVI.  But it is not only high-profile individuals who face employment consequences for OVI cases.  We are frequently asked the following questions about OVI cases and employment.

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DUI-Law-Book-300x200According to a story by NBC4i, the Ohio State Highway Patrol reports that 30% of DUI arrests (called ‘OVI’ in Ohio’) come from repeat offenders.  In Ohio, the mandatory OVI penalties increase with every conviction in ten-years (called the ‘lookback period’).  Those penalties include vehicle sanctions, license suspensions, incarceration, and other consequences.

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Stop-texting-while-driving-300x200With the media reporting the recent changes to Ohio’s distracted driving laws, Ohio drivers probably have questions.  In what circumstances am I prohibited from using a cell phone when I’m driving?  In what circumstances am I permitted to use a cell phone when I’m driving?  What is the law on ‘distracted driving’?  Can I be stopped for violating these laws?  What are the penalties if I’m caught?  What if I am under 18?  This article answers those questions.

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Jurisdiction-300x200The issue of venue recently arose in an Ohio Vehicular Homicide case.  As reported by the Leader-Telegram, the defendant was accused of hitting two highway workers in Clark County.  As a result of the collision, one worker died, and the other was seriously injured.  The defense attorney filed a motion for change of venue.  What is venue, and when can it be changed?
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Ranking-Poor-to-Great-300x200Everything gets ranked these days, including sports teams, colleges, students, lawyers, vacations, and products. For products, you can find lists of everything from the best weight-loss pills to the best vacuum cleaners.  Neither of those is recommended as a gift, by the way, even though it is the holiday season.  And because it is the holiday season, one thing being ranked is drunk driving rates.  A recent Forbes article compares the rates among the 50 states and D.C.

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Mouth-swab-300x200

According to a news report by NBC4 Columbus, the state of Ohio intends to use oral fluid testing to obtain evidence of drugged driving.  In the video from NBC4, the Ohio Traffic Safety Council indicates there are increasing numbers of crashes caused by drug-impaired drivers.  To combat this problem, the Traffic Safety Council recommends that law enforcement agencies implement oral fluid testing.  This testing method has some advantages over currently used drug tests, but it also has drawbacks.

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Body-Cam-of-Katie-Slayton-300x170Imagine you are totally sober, but your child’s daycare calls the police and reports you may be intoxicated.  Imagine further the police make you perform field sobriety tests while your toddler is running around on the sidewalk.  Now imagine you are prosecuted for DUI (called ‘OVI’ in Ohio) and Child Endangering and your child is taken away from you for two months, only for a blood test to show no alcohol or drugs, because you were totally sober.  Katie Slayton does not have to imagine it:  it happened to her.  Her experience was the perfect storm of circumstances in a DUI/OVI investigation.

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Pedal-Pub-300x200Can you get a DUI (called ‘OVI’ in Ohio) on a vehicle which is not motorized?  Like many legal questions, the answer is, ‘maybe’.  A person involved in a recent ‘pedal pub’ incident found out the hard way the answer is ‘yes’ when operating a mobile bar in Georgia.  But what about Ohio?

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