Blog
Insights on Utah DUI law, defense strategy, and protecting your rights.
Utah DUI Field Sobriety Tricks
A DUI specialist from Lubbock Texas, Stephen Hamilton, wrote this interesting article about Field Sobriety Tricks. He ended up with a case where the officer admits that that these tests are tricks. The officer tells the citizen accused that these tests "are just part of the part of the field sobriety tricks." Mr. Hamilton even […]
Arrested for Utah DUI!
So you have been arrested for a DUI in Utah. You are embarrassed, mad, depressed, and wondering what happens next. This is an overview of the what the process when you are arrested for a DUI in Utah. Arraignment: The Court schedules an initial appearance. This is a gray area. Sometimes you need to call […]
Utah DUI Charges–18 Troopers, 18 Arrest
This past weekend, 18 Utah Highway Patrol Troopers made 18 arrests people for DUI. 100 cars were pulled over according to the article in the Deseret Morning News. Here we go again, officers look for any reason they can to pull a citizen over to check them for alcohol. The motive is wrong even though […]
Utah DUI Attorney
The question that was presented to me the other day was, "Why should I hire a Utah DUI Attorney, rather than an attorney that does all sorts of cases?" I responded, with a question, "If you needed brain surgery, would you go to a general practitioner?" Defending DUI has become a specialty that takes years […]
Another Utah DUI Blitz–Arresting people that are Not Guilty
I saw this article published by the Standard Examiner. The story is about looking for DUI drivers during the month of December. Contrary to popular police belief, December and the holidays, is not the most dangerous months according to the article. In fact the article says "December ranked seventh of all months for the most […]
Utah ranks as one of the “best” in low percentage of drunk-related deaths!
Here is an article about South Carolina, which ranks as one of the worst for percentages of drunk-related deaths. However, Utah ranks as one of the best in the nation. The article states: –In the U.S., someone is killed in an alcohol-related accident about every 30 minutes. –Roughly one-third of all drivers arrested or convicted […]
Utah DUI Solutions
I like this article written by Janice Kopaunik. She seems to be looking for a solution to the problem, not just complaining about it. She makes some really good observations. Does heavier punishments work? If you have been drinking, do you really rationalize the stiff punishments and fines? "Punitive laws will do little to stop […]
Utah DUI Saturation Patrols.
You don’t see to many sobriety check points in Utah anymore. The constitutionality of the checkpoints have been brought into question and outlawed in many states. The procedure involves directing traffic off the road and checking the drivers for alcohol. Now what the officers do to get around constitutionality problems, is do saturation patrols. A […]
What happened to the Presumption of Innocense?
Stephen Hamilton, an attorney that specializes in Defending people accused of DWIs in Lubbock Texas, wrote a blog on the Scarlet S. He linked to an article in Arizona that talked about posting people who have been accused of DUIs on a billboard. Just like Stephen, I see serious problems branding people with the "Scarlet […]
Salt Lake County Attorney refuses to plea Bargain DUIs, even if the Evidence is Lacking
I was told that that Salt Lake County Attorney’s office had a policy of "No deals on DUIs." I learned first hand that the policy is true, even if the evidence is lacking. I defended a man accused of three DUIs. In all cases, I believed the man to be innocent. The evidence supported my […]
Arresting Utah DUIs is “Hunting” for UHP!
A UHP Officer in Davis County, Utah, was given an award for arresting people for DUI last week. She refers to it as hunting for DUIs. During this hunt, you have to wonder how many times the officer gets buck fever and makes a DUI out of an innocent person. How many people’s lives has […]
UHP draw blood for Utah DUI Arrests!
I have had several cases in Farmington, Utah, where the officer will draw blood from the arrested person rather than take him or her to get a breath test. Is this really a good idea? I mean, police drawing blood on the side of the road doesn’t seem sanitary. The police are there collecting evidence. […]