Stirling & O'Connell

Posts tagged "DUI Defense"

The walk and turn test

Drivers in South Carolina who have been arrested and charged with an offense for suspected driving under the influence may well have been asked to participate in select tests before they were formally arrested. These are referred to as field sobriety tests. According to, these roadside tests are designed to provide an officer with enough evidence to support placing a driver under arrest by showing that they may potentially be impaired.

How could current S.C. state legislation affect first-time DUIs?

Five years ago, the South Carolina state legislature passed a law named after a six-year-old girl who died in a drunk driving accident in 2012. Under the law, if authorities arrest you on drunk driving charges for the first time, and your blood alcohol level is greater than 0.15 according to a breathalyzer test, you must have an ignition interlock device installed on your vehicle at your own expense. The device analyzes your blood alcohol content when you blow into it and prevents you from starting your car if it tests over a certain limit. 

How does your breath determine your BAC?

The near-universal symbol of drunk driving enforcement is a motorist standing on the side of the road blowing into a handheld breath measurement device. Yet at the same time, you have likely also heard that breath tests are typically not reliable as evidence when it comes to supporting drunk driving charges. How is it, then, that a law enforcement officer can use such a measurement to justify your arrest for drunk driving? 

What happens after a DUI?

Not only is drinking and driving in South Carolina unsafe, it can also land in quite a bit of legal trouble. Punishments often include suspension of license, fines, and even jail time in serious cases. Very Well Mind explains what usually happens after a person is arrested for drunk driving. 

How long do drivers lose their license for a DUI conviction?

Being convicted of a DUI offense here in South Carolina subjects a person to many things. This includes jail time and fines. It also can take a person out from behind the wheel for a considerable amount of time. This is because DUI convictions generally trigger a license suspension.

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