Reader’s Question:

I heard that my brother was required by court to have a course on victim impact panel because of his DUI case in Carson City, Nevada. What does this mean and is it possible for him to take this course online?

Princess
Carson City, NV

A Victim Impact Panel intends to show how DUI cases impact people. It would also give an outlet to victims of DUI for sharing their stories. Moreover, it could also help others in the community, which includes those who are DUI offenders, to gain a greater understanding of how serious the consequences of drinking and driving can be. This course mainly consists of video presentation which is designed to help show the impact of DUI’s on different people’s lives. After each of the videos, a series of questions should be to demonstrate participation and understanding of the presentations. The video presentations are personal stories shared by those impacted by DUI accidents.

If your brother was required by court to have a course on victim impact panel because of his DUI case in Carson City, Nevada, he would have to ask the court if he can take the course online. Most courts in the State of Nevada accept an online course, but we can’t say for all courts. The court may have referred him to a certain online course but he can contact his DUI lawyer or the court for further verification.

Tags: DUI, DUI lawyer, DUI penalties

Reader’s Question:

Just to add to my knowledge on DUI, I need to know some things about blood alcohol testing to be ready just in case I get caught drunk driving in Spring Valley, Nevada. What are the factors that can affect how quickly the blood alcohol level rises in the body?

Suzie

Spring Valley, NV

Here are some thoughts on blood alcohol testing to get you ready in case you get arrested for DUI in Spring Valley, Nevada (but I still hope you don’t). In using the blood alcohol test to measure the blood alcohol content (BAC) of a person who is suspected for DUI, there are actually a lot of factors which could affect how quickly the BAC level rises in the body. One factor is the number of alcoholic drinks per hour. As the person increases the number of drinks per hour, the blood alcohol steadily increases. Another factor would be the strength of alcohol or the proof or percentage in the drink.

The person’s weight is another factor that can affect how quickly the BAC rises. The more the person weighs, the more water is present in the body which dilutes the alcohol and lowers the BAC level. The person’s gender is one other factor because a woman’s body typically has less water and more fat than a man’s body. Alcohol doesn’t go into fat cells as well as other cells, so a woman tends to keep more alcohol in their blood than a man does. Also, the hormones of a woman could affect the breakdown of alcohol.

Tags: blood alcohol test, DUI, DUI arrest, DUI lawyer

Hiring a Las Vegas NV DWI lawyer is a big decision, and one you shouldn’t take lightly. For this reason, you should go to your consultation with your potential representation knowing what sort of questions you will be asking of them. How they answer can give you a lot of insight not only into their expertise in case law, but also into how successful a team you and they can be. Here are a few sample questions. Make sure to ask these basics, but don’t limit yourself to them.

• Which lawyer will be representing my drunk driving case? Whenever you go for a consultation, it is important that it be with the very person who will be representing you. You don’t want to be delegated to a less experienced member of the practice after you’ve already made your down payment.
• Can I have details of your experience? This should include several things, such as the amount of DUI cases your potential Las Vegas NV DWI lawyer handles every month, and their rate of success, their years practicing, their rating at the bar, and so on.
• Can you explain the payment options and fee rates to me? Never go into a lawyer-client relationship without knowing in full what you will be charged for and how.

Sometimes, a Las Vegas DUI lawyer is expendable. Other times, they could save your life. Not every case is simple or cut and dry, and no matter how intelligent you are or think you are, when faced with very serious consequences, it’s better to leave your situation in the hands of professionals. For the reasons below, you should hire a Las Vegas DUI lawyer without even thinking so much as twice.

Get to the phone and call a Las Vegas DUI lawyer if…

• someone else is involved, and not in a good way. If you crashed your car while driving drunk, it’s so many times worse than it would have been while you were sober that you couldn’t believe. It gets even worse if somebody hurt themself in the accident, or, more tragically, somebody died. Your entire life and future could rest on your representation in court, and you shouldn’t trust your untrained self with that.
• your job relies on it. Some people have to drive for a living, and without the right representation, it’s very unlikely that an exception will be made for them, regardless.
• you’re not exactly a one hit wonder. If you have more than two DUIs, you’re going to need some intervention.

So as you’re sitting there in front of an open copy of the yellow pages, looking at some price quotes, you may be wondering what a Nevada DWI lawyer really DOES. Here is a basic summary of what they do and in what ways they can help you fight and handle your drunk driving case for your own good.

• Represent.

Most people who haven’t been to law school may be able to stand up for themselves person to person, but they don’t know what to do in a court room. A Nevada DWI lawyer knows how the court operates and knows the arguments which have won cases in the past, and so can use these for your own good. Experience works in your favor, and it’s worth spending the money on.

• Time saving.

You can spend hours and hours researching and reading about DWI law, or you can visit a lawyer and they can explain everything to you. Once things get underway, they (or their employees) can handle all of your paperwork and miscellaneous details.

In some cases, although it isn’t advisable, you may be able to take a chance and pass on hiring a Nevada DUI lawyer without doing any real damage to your drunk driving case. These cases are few and far between, and you need to go to a couple of consultations first, because this isn’t a decision you should make just by listing the pros and cons. You need the advice of a professional.

It isn’t absolutely necessary to hire a Nevada DUI lawyer if…

• you’ve had a DUi conviction before, and now you have arrived at your second so called mistake. Yeah, this is a very hard case, since you’re aiming to lose a lot more here, but it’s not impossible to take on by yourself.
• you drove while especially intoxicated. Sometimes the drunker you are, if it’s by a significant amount, like twice the limit, then you will have to pay higher fees, spend more time in jail, and so on.
• coupled with the last one is the offense of driving under the influence with a minor in the car. Whether it’s a baby or a high schooler, this will get you in big trouble, but, again–not impossible to handle on your own.

Do you really need a Nevada DWI lawyer? You may not, even if just the acronym DWI strikes fear into you, some of it isn’t so serious. You lose your license, you spend a week in jail, and so on. In order to find out if you do, you should schedule a consultation first, but even before that, here are some possibile situations in which a lawyer is a luxury but not a necessity.

Do what you want as regards hiring a Nevada DWI lawyer if…

• you don’t really know what your rights are when representing your DWI case.
• you don’t know what will happen to you if convicted.
• you don’t know how to represent yourself, or don’t have time to prepare for it.
• you need someone to explain the laws to you.
• being convicted could interfere with your pursuit of a livlihood, by making you unable to get a professional license, or lose it if you have it, or lose a job that requires bonding.

In order for your Nevada DUI lawyer to represent your case best, they need to know all of the information. This means that, if you were in an accident as a result of your intoxication, you will need the police report. In addition to that, you will need to know what kind of evidence they have which could compromise your plea.

• Symptoms.

There are plenty of ways a cop can tell you are under the influence just by looking. Zig zagging your car or jerking to a stop and a start might have been what drew their eye in the first place. Once you roll down your window and they shine the flashlight in your face, the red lines in your eyes and the obvious effect of the alcohol on your speech can give them further observational evidence.

• Tests.

Of course, they can’t go on sight alone. If you are caught and pulled over, the police officers will administer tests, most often the breath test which will test the amount of alcohol on your breath.

• Forgetting the fifth.

It doesn’t help if you incriminate yourself by being truthful about exactly how many beers you had however long ago, either.