It may sound a little idealistic, but one thing that is so confounding about DUI law is that we live in a society that so heavily emphasizes and financially profits from the sale of alcohol. We are constantly being marketed and prodded to buy and drink alcohol, not just in our homes, but at bars and establishments to which we have to travel. In the same society in which the government and private big interests make money off alcohol, we arrest convict and jail people for being intoxicated, even in situations where there is no accident or serious injury. It seems that the ever increasing penalties are as much a product of politicians looking to bolster their image as public safety.
Over the past 20 years, we have seen lawyers who tend to be politicians and want to move up in the ranks by further criminalizing drunk driving and alcoholism rather than focusing on alcohol as a disease. At the same time people are profiting from alcohol, it’s also being criminalized. The dichotomy of that development is a factor that spurs our team to fight for individuals accused of drunk driving and facing severe incarceration and penalties.
Someone who makes a mistake should not be judged too harshly. The reality is, when people get a DUI, that’s like a snapshot, probably the worst time of their life and the biggest mistake they have ever made; they shouldn’t be judged forever by that. Even for cases in which facts are incontestable and they were operating a motor vehicle while they were inebriated, they have a right to fight to make sure the punishment is fair and calibrated and not overly harsh.
I have a chip on my shoulder when it comes to DUIs and when it comes to politicians and prosecutors; they tend to be the same people, looking to make a name for themselves by overly punishing American citizens. In the past year there were more than 50,000 DUI arrests in Pennsylvania but a study came out in June, called the Wallet hub study, saying that Pennsylvania was one of the least punitive states in the union. In fact we are basically the 49th most lenient state, despite the fact that in Pennsylvania, even a first offense DUI carries mandatory minimum jail time and a 12-month loss of license.
This book is for those who are looking for advice from a seasoned DUI defense attorney when facing DUI charges in Pennsylvania. It explains different yet very important aspects of a DUI case, how to deal with such situation, what mistakes to avoid and why an experienced attorney in DUI defense is extremely helpful in steering one out clear in difficult circumstances.