Rhode Island DUI Lawyer

A debate arose recently in front of the State Supreme Court over whether new, harsher penalties for drivers who refuse Breathalyzer tests are valid of if they were actually made void when the governor signed a budget bill containing the law’s old language.

The new law, signed by the General Assembly in 2006, doubled the minimum license suspension to six for first offenses and it made subsequent offenses criminal rather than civil.  The law stated that second time offenders could serve up to six months in prison, fines of up to $1,000 and up to 100 hours of community service.

Before the law was passed, 85% of Rhode Islanders pulled over under the suspicion of drinking and driving refused a Breathalyzer test.  This is nominally higher than the national average of 25%.

If you were arrested for a DUI and refused a Breathalyzer test, contact the Rhode Island DUI Attorney James Powderly at 401-662-9006 to discuss your case and legal options.

Because of the increased number of teenage deaths in the state of Rhode Island, they are currently beginning a project in order to crack down on the number of fatal teen DUI accidents that are happening in the state of Rhode Island.

The project that they have started, called Zero Fatalities, is there way of trying to inform teenagers of the dangers of drinking and driving and to hopefully prevent it from happening in the future. The process through the project is where they bring many high school students to the jail and put them behind bars. They then talk to them about the many dangers that could happen if they choose to drink and then drive on the road.  These groups of teenagers also get to speak with people just like them who have already been through the same thing and are now serving long sentences in jail for what they have done.

The Zero Fatalities project has already begun and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections is hoping to raise lots of awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving.

For more information, contact the Rhode Island DUI Attorney James Powderly at 401-662-9006.

A 2006 Rhode Island law that applies harsher penalties to drivers who refuse the Breathalyzer test was recently backed by the courts.   Before the law passed, an estimated 85% of drunken drivers refused the test.  However, the law doubled the license suspension of those who refused the test to 6 months and added prison time and higher fines for repeat offenders.   The Attorney General, Patrick Lynch, praised the high court’s backing of the law as a “victory for public safety.”

If you have been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, contact the experienced Rhode Island DUI lawyer James Powderly today at 401.662.9006 to discuss your specific situation.

Operation Zero Tolerance, a police enforcement movement in Georgia, is a statewide effort to combat drivers under the influence of alcohol and drugs from June 20th through July 6th.  In Dalton, Georgia, the city’s Traffic Enforcement Unit, Situational Response Unit, and Patrol Unit will be performing concentrated patrols and random road checks at strategic locations to crackdown on drunk drivers.

Additionally, the laws in Georgia are getting tougher. On July 1st, the fourth DUI conviction will now be a felony instead of a minor charge.  Currently, one out of three fatal accidents in Georgia involves an impaired driver.

If you have been accused of driving under the influence, it is important to have experienced legal counsel to fight for your rights.  The Rhode Island DUI lawyer James Powderly will be your aggressive advocate.  Contact him today at 401.662.9006 to speak about your case.

Marcus Vick, a former football star, was recently arrested for DUI, driving on the wrong side of the road, reckless driving, eluding police, and driving with a suspended license.  After a bicycle police officer noticed Vick and the passenger in his vehicle having an apparent altercation, the police officer approached the car.  After asking to see Vick’s license, Vick fled the scene at a high rate of speed.  A description of the vehicle was broadcast to other police members and Vick was pulled over a couple of minutes later.  The incident occurred in Norfolk, Virginia around 2:15 a.m.

If you have been accused of driving under the influence, it is important to have experienced legal counsel to fight for your rights.  The Rhode Island DUI lawyer James Powderly will be your aggressive advocate.  Contact him today at 401.662.9006 to speak about your case.