Maryland Pol Pleads Guilty to DUI

Kumar Barve, the majority leader in the Maryland House of Delegates, pleaded guilty to a first offense DUI. News reports here and here. He was sentenced in Montgomery County District Court.

Reports indicated he blew a .10 on a breath test, slightly above the legal limit of .08% BAC. Police reports suggested that he crossed a double yellow line, failed a "walk and turn" so-called field sobriety test. Officers also indictated that he smelled of alcohol, his eyes were bloodshot, his face flushed, and his speech was slurred, as they typically do in DUI arrests.
He received a standard sentence of a probation before judgement, which essentially means that the guilty finding will be recinded if he meets all the conditions of his probation. And he will be eligible to have the charges expunged in the future.
Other conditions of his probation include not drinking alcohol for 1 year, attending MADD meetings, and completing a 26 week alcohol awareness class.
Delegate Barve took full responsibility for his actions, and no one was harmed. We wish him the best, and understand that this is a mistake that anyone could make.
All in all, he got a reasonable, standard result for someone under the circumstances. A good DUI defense lawyer would be able to get a similar result for anyone under these circumstances who chose to plead guilty. There is no evidence at all that he received any judicial favoritism in this outcome.
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If you are charged with drunk driving/DUI/DWI in Maryland, please contact us for your free defense consultation. We can help you fight the charges and defend your license, or work to make sure you get the best and fairest deal under Maryland DUI laws. There is no obligation for our advice.

Maryland rejects special license plates for multiple DUI offenders

Maryland lawmakers rejected a proposed bill to mandate special license plates for drivers with multiple DUI / Drunk driving convictions. The proposed legislation would have required that a person with 3 or more drunk driving/DWI or impaired driving charges get a special license plate with the letters DUI on it, and pay an additional $500 fee for the special tags.

The legislators rejected this "scarlet letter" approach, citing no evidence that these shaming techniques result in reduced offenses or increased safety for the public. Even MADD did not think it was a worthwhile idea, so it is probably safe to assume they are right.

DUI Roadblock Checkpoints Announced in Talbot County

Police in Talbot County Maryland announced they are setting up DUI roadblocks this weekend. The locations are undisclosed, but the fact that roadblocks will be in affect is designed to deter drunk drivers. It is also a requirement for the DUI roadblock to be legal that they be announced in advance, to make them constitutional under Maryland law.