A student visa that lets you study at the university of your choice is a terrific thing for you. But what happens if your studies take longer than you planned? On top of exams and term papers, you may have to worry about your student visa expiring. That’s where an immigration lawyer can be your best friend. Understanding how immigration laws work can be the first step to making sure that you keep your student visa in good standing. My blog is all about immigration issues, especially those faced by foreign students. Check out the articles for more information that you can use to complete your studies in the country you chose to study in.
If you have been charged with a DUI, you probably already know you can be facing serious consequences. You may also be wondering if you should hire an attorney or if you can handle it on your own. While you can legally provide your own defense, an experienced DUI attorney can guide you through the process and may be able to convince the judge you are innocent of the charges or get you a lighter sentence. Consider these common instances when a DUI attorney can prove invaluable to you.
You have a prior conviction. Your attorney may be able to lessen your sentence or make a plea for a lesser offence. For example, even though you may be found guilty of DUI/OUI charge, your attorney may help you avoid being ordered to take a DUI driving course, or may be able to persuade the judge or jury to sentence you to less time in jail or get you a lower fine.
You were not operating the vehicle at the time of the arrest. If you were arrested while sitting in your vehicle with the engine turned off, or decided you could not drive and pulled to the side of the road and began to walk home, your attorney may help you avoid a DUI charge. He can argue that you were not driving a vehicle and therefore cannot be convicted of driving under the influence; however, if you pulled off to the side of the road and shut off the motor after the police officer signaled you to stop, you cannot claim you were not driving the vehicle.
There are discrepancies in police reports. If the arresting officer made conflicting statements on two or more forms, your attorney can argue that there is no way to tell which is accurate. For example, if one form says the officer observed you staggering, but there is no mention of the behavior in another report, it generally cannot be used as evidence against you. While this is not common, sometimes police records do show conflicting statements, which can work in your favor if you are facing a DUI charge.
You failed the urine test. If the arresting officer relied on a urine test to determine your BAC, your attorney may be able to convince the judge that the urine test is not accurate. According to Driving Laws, a urine test is the least accurate method used to determine your BAC. Because the amount of alcohol in the urine differs from the amount in the blood, the numbers must be converted to determine your BAC. However, the formula used to convert the numbers relies on an average which may not be accurate for you. Other factors that can affect the accuracy of a urine test for determining your BAC are the length of time since you last emptied your bladder or how many other fluids you consumed before drinking alcohol. Your attorney can help you determine if there are any other factors that may have affected the results of your urine test.
There are other explanations for your high BAC. There are a number of things that can cause the breathalyzer test to show a false positive. Toothache gels and cold medications can leave enough residue in the mouth to create a false positive in a breathalyzer test, says MAHER Law Firm. Other prescription or OTC medications, gum, mints, and some mouth washes can also cause a false reading, it explains. People with diabetes may also trigger a false positive because some older breathalyzers cannot distinguish between alcohol you consumed and ethyl alcohol common in the breath of some diabetics.
If you feel you have been wrongly charged with DUI, call a DUI attorney, such as those at Hart Law Offices, PC, right away to discuss your case and your options.
Share14 February 2017
