Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania DUI Defense Lawyers - Drunk Driving Defense
If you have been stopped for any drunk driving offense in Pennsylvania, such as DUI, DAI, or repeat offender drunk driving, contact the experienced DUI/DWI defense lawyers at Joyce & Bittner in Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania drunk driving laws are continually increasing in both severity and complexity, and our DUI attorneys have the experience and understanding of the law necessary to attempt to minimize your criminal exposure and attempt to protect your ability to drive. Driving under the Influence cases are often a two prong battle, with an attorney needing to be keenly aware of both the criminal penalties as well as the potential for loss of the accused's driving privilege. We will work to try to eliminate or minimize both.
The current Pennsylvania law concerning Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Controlled Substance in many ways is the harshest the legislature has yet enacted. Although a possibility exists for first time offenders to get a pretrial diversion known as ARD, and thus avoid a conviction on their record, penalties for conviction can be tough. If you are convicted, penalties and mandatory sentences are based primarily on two key factors:
- Blood alcohol content. This is based upon a test of the blood or breath (or the accused’s refusal of the test).
- The number of prior DUI convictions (in Pennsylvania or any other state) in the mandatory 10 year look back period
In defending our clients on charges of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs, we stress a unified approach. After carefully reviewing the facts and law with you, we will discuss the possible outcomes and what goals are most important to you. In some cases a DUI case client will want to minimize the chances of doing jail time and want to pursue a negotiated plea for home detention or alternative housing for the sentence. Other clients – such as commercial truck drivers – view the potential loss of driving privilege as the number one concern and seek a trial. We will discuss all aspects of the DUI case with you and what your best options are.
Contrary to the opinion of police and a large part of public perception, DUI cases can be successfully defended. An arrest for Drunk Driving does not have to mean conviction. With knowledge gained from over 25 years of legal experience including the former prosecution experience and governmental experience of our attorneys, in defending cases of driving under the influence (DUI) in Pennsylvania, we will look for, and pursue, any and all issues legally available including:
- Legality of the checkpoint in roadblock cases designed to catch Drunk Driving suspects
- Probable cause for the stop of the vehicle in DUI cases
- Whether there is sufficient proof of driving or “immediate physical control of the vehicle”
- Whether or not there is sufficient proof of “being under the influence” to the degree required
- The validity and admissibility of blood, breath or urine tests in the DUI prosecution
- The prior convictions that can or should be counted against the DUI offender
- Use of forensic experts to assist in defending against blood test or breath test results, by challenging either the reliability or meaning of the results in the circumstances of that particular DUI case.
Any favorable evidence we can find on these points could potentially lead to the dismissal of the charges against you, or at least help achieve a negotiated resolution (“plea bargain”) on more favorable terms.
Many, many people have faced Driving Under the Influence charges in Pennsylvania. Our clients have included lawyers, doctors, salespeople, and other professionals. For many years we have defended both first-time DUI offenders and repeat violators of the Drunk Driving laws. The key is in our experience and thorough preparation in each case, working to achieve the best result for that individual client.
Our objective in all of our criminal defense work for clients is to protect your interests by minimizing your criminal liability exposure. Whether the facts of your case indicate a defense strategy based on suppression of the evidence, negotiation toward a lesser offense or alternative sentencing, or a collateral attack on prior convictions, we have the experience and understanding of Pennsylvania DUI law that can lead us to the most effective defense available under the facts of your case.
For further information and a free consultation, contact the Pittsburgh DUI defense attorneys at Joyce & Bittner.
