Ocean City DUI/DWI Attorneys

Trusted Lawyers Defending Clients Against DUI & DWI in Ocean City, Maryland

A seemingly minor traffic violation can be quite costly to deal with. If convicted, you may be saddled with jail time, high fines, a license suspension, and points on your driving record, which can be a major burden to your everyday life. With the assistance of a traffic defense lawyer in Ocean City, you can fight a traffic violation in court.

At the Law Offices of Murphy & Price LLP, our attorneys have more than 50 years of combined experience handling DUIs and other criminal defense cases on behalf of our clients. We strive to reach the best possible outcome in every case, putting up a rigorous defense based on the facts of the case.

Driving Under The Influence and Driving While Impaired

Unlike other states, Maryland treats driving under the influence (DUI) and driving while impaired (DWI) as two separate offenses with different penalties. Depending on the circumstances, a drunk driving offense could be charged as a misdemeanor or felony.

One of the most important pieces of evidence in a DUI case is a driver's blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, a scientific measure of alcohol in the bloodstream. If you are found to have a BAC of .08 percent or higher, you can be charged with misdemeanor DUI. If you were below the legal limit, you can still be charged with DWI based on an officer's assessment of your level of impairment. DWI is a misdemeanor with lighter penalties. You could be charged with felony DUI for multiple convictions, having an extremely high BAC, or drunk driving with a child passenger.

DUI Defenses

Knowing your rights in a DUI traffic stop could help your case. First and foremost, you have no obligation to perform any roadside tests the officer asks of you. This includes a breathalyzer as well as field sobriety tests to gauge your coordination or cognitive ability. However, if you are detained, you must consent to a chemical test, or you will risk an immediate suspension of your license.

If you were pulled over without reasonable suspicion, our lawyers can argue to have the evidence suppressed. Additionally, if a BAC test was not properly administered, the results could be thrown out of court. When you work with our firm, we will explore all possible avenues for your defense to have a DUI sentence reduced or dropped.

Reckless Driving

In Maryland, the crime of reckless driving does not refer to one specific act, but instead any conduct behind the wheel that endangers other people or property. As such, you can be charged with reckless driving for a wide variety of offenses, like excessive speeding, making unsafe turns, or following too closely.

While reckless driving does not carry any jail time, it is still punishable by a hefty $1,000 fine on a conviction. Moreover, it is a misdemeanor offense that will remain on your criminal record, which may hurt your employment opportunities.

At the Law Offices of Murphy & Price LLP, we can explore viable defense strategies for a reckless driving charge. For example, if you had to violate a traffic law to avoid an accident, we could argue to have the case dismissed. In other cases, we could have a reckless driving violation reduced to a lower charge of negligent driving, which will also result in fewer points on your driving record.

Meet With an Ocean City, MD DUI Defense Lawyer Today

If you have been charged with DUI, DWI, reckless driving, or another serious traffic violation, the Law Offices of Murphy & Price LLP is ready to fight for you. Our Ocean City traffic violation attorneys can defend you against misdemeanor and felony charges, working towards an optimal outcome for your case.

If you need to speak with a lawyer urgently, we are available 24/7. Call our offices at 410-280-2500 or contact us online to get started with a free consultation.