May 2010 Archives

In news that will surely grab the attention of PA DUI lawyers, a woman faced PA DUI charges early this morning after she allegedly crashed her car into a utility pole in the neighborhood of Drexel Hill near Township Line and Dermond roads at around 4:00 in the morning. The Delaware County Daily Times reports that Ms. Erin Scanlon, 28, was charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance and reckless driving.

Ms. Scanlon allegedly was following another vehicle very closely when she went into the left lane of the Township Line and swerved into a pole. The car, a Toyota, then hit the pole and flipped onto its side. Shortly after that, both the pole and car were set on fire. The accident and fire caused a large traffic jam that took a few hours to clear. She was the only occupant in the vehicle.

Fortunately, the accident and fire did not hurt or injure anyone. The Delaware County Daily Times quotes police Superintendent Michael Chitwood as saying, "Initially she was trapped and was able to get herself out of the car. She's lucky she didn't kill anybody."

It looks like PA DUI lawyers can expect to be busy over the upcoming three day weekend. According to the Wayne Independent, Pennsylvania State police will have PA DUI checkpoints throughout all of Wayne County during Memorial Day weekend.

The state troopers will also be driving in patrols in order to ensure that the public is safe from drunk drivers that may be out on Pennsylvania highways during the holiday weekend.

Both the PA DUI checkpoints and patrols will have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to enforcing the law. This means that if you get pulled over for a possible DUI, you may need to have your Pennsylvania DUI attorney on speed dial.

However, make sure that you know your rights during a DUI checkpoint. While every driver has the right to refuse to take any chemical tests during a DUI checkpoint, Pennsylvania has an implied consent law. This means that drivers are required to submit to chemical testing if they are suspected of a DUI. If they refuse to a chemical test, the state may allow for mandatory suspension of their drivers' license, usually for six months to a year.

Assume you've been arrested for DUI. Assume, even worse, that you've killed someone while driving under the influence of alcohol.

What does your Pa DUI lawyer need to do in order to get you off the hook?

Good question. Well, the first thing you need to do is to get yourself a really good Pennsylvania DUI attorney. 

Pennsylvania-- you give us some incredible DUI stories!

And just when Pa DUI lawyers thought that the Amish buggy DUI was the best farm-related DUI story to be heard in Pennsylvania, comes the hilarious tale of Shawn Anthony Hott. And this tale is hilarious-- this I guarantee. From the farm DUI, to the fact that his own car almost ran over him, this is the funniest DUI story I've read. But my favorite part of this story comes at the end, when the officer transports the DUI offender back to the patrol car (read on and you'll see what I'm talking about).

Remember Thomas Senavitis? We've covered his DUI story on this blog.

Thomas Senavitis was the small-town man; the self-proclaimed "nobody" who was being held responsible for the DUI death of a beloved Pennsylvania politician. 

As mentioned earlier this week on this blog, there were a record number of arrests for the 2009 year in Pennsylvania.

State troopers arrested as many as 16,900 people for driving under the influence in 2009. Monroe County and Pike County felt the bite. More notably, the Swiftwater barracks, which largely spans Monroe County, had the most noticeable increase in arrests, when compared to all other stations in Pennsylvania. The percentage increase was 75 percent, from 262 arrests in 2008 to a whopping 461 arrests in 2009.

I've talked over and over again on DUI defense and how difficult it can be for your Pa DUI lawyer to defend a client when the client goes above and beyond the crime.

I'm talking about those cases where someone is arrested for a DUI and then decides to add salt to the wound. Perhaps the offender tries to hit the officer. Perhaps the offender tries to flee the scene. Or perhaps the offender creates a public spectacle.

This article raises some interesting questions for Pa DUI lawyers.

For instance, could a rise in DUI arrests somehow relate to lower drunk driving mortality rates?

It seems that such a correlation could be made by some Pa DUI attorneys. 

Avoid bad driving habits!

That's the message from Pa DUI lawyers and local students alike.

PennDOT released the winning names of its second annual "Drive Safe PA" radio public service announcement contest. The names were released on Wednesday as part of a campaign to curb distracted driving, which is a part of National Youth Traffic Safety Month.

Oprah Winfrey is now joining the ranks of those who support a ban on dialing and driving.

Pa DUI lawyers have recently begun to show concern in the area of dialing while driving and texting while driving. Studies have indicated that distracted driving could be just as hazardous as drinking and driving.

Given that prom season is in our midst, Pa DUI lawyers are always glad to hear stories like this.

Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Chairman Patrick J. Stapleton III honored 46 students from across the state. The honor was given to these students in recognition of the work they did in educating their peers about the dangers of alcohol.

More specifically, their work was judged by means of a poster contest, whereby the youth were asked to create posters showing healthy alternatives to underage drinking. Over 800 students submitted posters, left to the judgment of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. Posters focused on emphasizing healthy alternatives to drinking, exercise, community involvement and participating in athletics.