Being charged with driving under the influence (DUI) in West Virginia works much like similar offenses in other U.S. states. If you’re convicted, you potentially face jail time, a fine worth hundreds of dollars and even a license suspension. For an officer to charge...
The People’s Lawyer
Drunk Driving Charges
Do you know what sobriety tests are?
The police have the right to pull vehicles over if they have reasonable suspicion that a driver is committing a crime, will commit a crime or has committed a crime. During the traffic stop, the police may believe that a driver is drunk. If the police don’t have enough...
3 consequences of a West Virginia DUI other than criminal penalties
Drivers in West Virginia all know that they should not get behind the wheel when they are under the influence of alcohol. Not only does alcohol affect your ability to safely drive, but it can also lead to criminal charges. It is illegal to drive when there is a...
Fighting back against drunk driving charges
When an officer pulls a driver over in West Virginia, the first reaction is often panic and maybe even a twinge of fear. This can grow into full-blown anxiety when the officer asks them to step out of the car and submit to field sobriety tests (FSTs). By the time law...
What does the legal blood alcohol concentration limit really mean?
Almost every conversation about drunk driving in a driver’s ed course is going to mention the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit. For non-commercial drivers who are 21 years of age or older, it’s almost always a BAC of 0.08%. The way people sometimes take...
West Virginia legislature considers new drunk driving law
The West Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill that would make it legal for a person to drive drunk on their own property. However, the bill would not protect a drunk driver from liability for hurting or killing another person. It would also still be legal for...
How Breathalyzer tests work
When police stop a suspected drunk driver, standard protocol is to have the driver complete a set of field sobriety tests and take a breath test to determine their blood alcohol content. Each time a person with alcohol in their system breathes out, they expel a small...
How alcohol impacts a driver
If a driver in West Virginia or any other state drives with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or higher, he or she is committing a crime. It is usually labeled as either driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence. Drivers should know that driving...
