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Online DUI Programs and Courses in D.C.
Find out more here about online DUI programs and courses that have been approved by the Office of the Attorney General in Washington, D.C.
What should I do after receiving a hit-and-run letter from D.C. police?
The letter from the Metropolitan Police Department sounds ominous. Your car has been involved in a hit-and-run accident in D.C. You should come in for an interview at a specific time and place.
Leaving After Colliding in D.C. requires proof of mens rea
In Crawford v. D.C., the Court of Appeals confirmed that the Leaving After Colliding statute requires the government to prove mens rea.
I didn’t say, “Simon says”
Q: Officer. You testified on direct that my client was talkative when you first approached his car. A: Yes. As I began speaking with him, he was repeating himself quite a bit, wasn’t really answering my questions, just kept repeating himself. He kept talking and talking and just wasn’t really cooperative at the time that I walked up to the …
The SFSTs Have Never Been Peer Reviewed
Peer review is a critical component of any scientific research. You don’t simply expect people to take your word for it. Instead, you send things out to other experts in your field and you say: I am confident in the results I have received. But have at it. Scientific results must be reproducible, preferably by independent, outside parties. Finally, you …
Double-Counting Police Officer Observations in a DUI Case
In DUI cases in which a suspect refuses to submit to a breath, blood or urine test, judges will typically base a guilty verdict on two different considerations. First, there are the results of the Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST). Second, there are the police officer’s observations with respect to the suspect’s appearance and demeanor at the time of the …
Koonce v. D.C.: Stationhouse Videos in DUI/OWI Cases Are Discoverable
And sometimes the D.C. Court of Appeals gets it just right. For years, the Office of the Attorney General in D.C. has argued that stationhouse videos of suspects in DUI/DWI cases are not “discoverable”; that is, that they do not need to be preserved and turned over to the defense under D.C. Superior Court Rule of Criminal Procedure 16. Although …
Police Officer as Expert at DMV Hearing
Q: You are certified to administer the standardized field sobriety tests? A: Yes. Q: So you are familiar with the science behind the standardized field sobriety tests? A: Yes. Q: And you are aware that the tests have never been peer-reviewed? A: Um. I was not aware – HEARING EXAMINER: What is the relevance of this? A: That’s – HEARING …
Refreshing Recollection at a DMV Hearing
DEFENSE COUNSEL: Objection. HEARING EXAMINER: Basis? DEFENSE COUNSEL: I would ask that the officer testify from memory and not read from his report. HEARING EXAMINER: Officer, are you testifying from memory or are you using the report to refresh your recollection? OFFICER: I am using the report for recollection. HEARING EXAMINER: Okay. And are you relying solely on the report …
“I Make Over Six Figures A Year. What Am I Doing Here?”
Guest Post by Tyler Wolff* These are the first words that went through my head when the jury found me guilty of my second DUI. The first one was a dangerous mistake: I was young, underage, drinking with a fake ID, and hadn’t consumed much alcohol in my life up to that point. Really, growing up, I didn’t drink much. …