As a Washington, DC DUI attorney, I expect to get more calls following St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, and most recently, Memorial Day weekend, which is already turning out to be the case. It is not only that more people are drinking and on the road, it’s that the police come out in force and pull people over hoping to rack up DUI arrests. In some areas, such as Adams Morgan in NW DC, the Metropolitan Police (MPD) will often setup sobriety checkpoints. The US Capitol Police have also been pulling over a greater number of drivers around Capitol Hill.
One thing to keep in mind it that while it is more likely that a driver will get pulled over and arrested on DUI charges during one of these enforcement campaigns, it is also likely that your attorney may have more to work with when fighting the charges. These arrests are sometimes borderline cases that would not have resulted in a DUI, but because of the increased pressure on officers, they will arrest the driver anyway. You also have officers who are not familiar with administering field sobriety tests, or even using breathalyzers. All of this may be challenged in court where appropriate. Your DC DUI attorney can explain the facts of your particular situation, and how these defenses may apply. Always remember that an arrest is not a conviction.
