DUI Offenses

Pennsylvania DUI Defense Attorney

You Can Fight a Pennsylvania DWI

Being charged with driving under the influence (DUI) in Pennsylvania can mean the loss of your driving privileges and your freedom. In addition, your auto insurance rates will increase, and it can prevent you from driving yourself to, or for, your job. With the aid of an attorney who is skilled in the defense of DUI cases in Pennsylvania, however, you can construct a case that allows you to keep your freedom, your money, and your driver’s license.

Logue Law Group, in Pittsburgh, is a young, aggressive, and effective alternative to other attorney’s offices you may come across when looking for a criminal defense lawyer. The skilled Pittsburgh DUI lawyers in our office know how to design an excellent defense for your DWI/DUI charges.

Contact Logue Law Group online or at (412) 389-0805 or (412) 612-2210.

DUI Penalties – Pittsburgh Drunk Driving Defense Lawyer

Penalties for drinking and driving in Pennsylvania vary widely, depending on your number of prior convictions, your level of intoxication, and other factors. Please read our Driver’s License Penalties page for more information on penalties specific to Pennsylvania DUI.

Pennsylvania DUI Penalties (Source: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation)

ARD – Like Probation for First-Time Offenders

When applicable, the DUI attorneys at our Pittsburgh firm work to eliminate serious consequences for a first-time DUI arrest through the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program.

ARD allows accused offenders to avoid lengthy court proceedings, jail time and other penalties in exchange for attending supervised meetings, completing a court-mandated Alcohol Highway Safety School course or meeting other conditions imposed by the court, during a two-year probationary period.

The good news is that if you successfully complete the ARD program, your DUI charge will be dropped and your arrest can be expunged from your criminal record.

However, if you are convicted of a second DUI or fail to meet requirements during the ARD period, your charges will be reinstated. Moreover, if you complete the ARD program but are arrested for DUI within 10 years, you will be charged as a repeat offender.

Am I Eligible?

First, ARD is a program available at the discretion of the District Attorney. That being said, many first-timers are eligible for the ARD program, but not all. You are not eligible for ARD if your DUI seriously injured or killed another person, or if a child younger than 14 was in the vehicle at the time of your arrest.

Further, ARD may not be a good choice if your attorney believes you can fight your charge and win.

DUI and Drugs Defense

Even if you have a prior DUI conviction, your cause is not lost; not by a long shot!

As your Pittsburgh DUI attorney, I will scour police reports and other records for evidence to fight for you. When possible, I will work to have your charges dropped or, at the very least, limit the penalties as much as possible.

Drugged-driving arrests (sometimes called DUIDs) present particular problems for prosecutors. It is often difficult to prove you are impaired. However, Pennsylvania law allows for circumstantial evidence to be admitted in a trial. As a result, a jury can convict you without concrete proof that you were using a drug. As your attorney, I can try to counter circumstantial evidence to persuade a jury that you were not intoxicated by a drug – for instance, by proving the police did not use a drug recognition expert (DRE) or appropriate drug tests to diagnose your condition.

Attorney Sean Logue • DUI Defense • 412-389-0805 or (412) 612-2210

When fighting a DUI charge, it is important to hire a criminal defense attorney who focuses on DUI almost exclusively. Logue law meets that requirement.

Our aggressive but professional attorney, Sean Logue, will take the time to listen to your concerns, investigate your options and help you get the best possible result given your circumstances.

You need a DUI lawyer in Pittsburgh to present your side of the case, and Sean Logue is that attorney. If you need an effective Pennsylvania DWI defense, call our law firm at 412-389-0805 or (412) 612-2210 today.

DUI Types

Anyone, no matter how honorable and upright a citizen they are, can end up facing a DUI charge. There are several types of DUI charges you can be faced with. An aggressive and highly-trained Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney can help you defend yourself against all of these types of charges.

Underage DUI

When a person under the age of 21 drives a vehicle while impaired by alcohol or drugs, he or she is guilty of Underage DUI. The legal drinking age in Pennsylvania is 21, and the standards for DUI charges for drivers under that age are strict. If an underage driver has a blood alcohol content of 0.02% or higher, he or she will be charged with DUI. The same is true if there is any evidence that the driver has consumed drugs. Pennsylvania has cracked down on underage DUI in recent years, and the fines and other penalties have steadily increased.

CDL DUI

Holders of a Pennsylvania commercial driver’s license have to follow more strict DUI laws. The legal blood alcohol content for CDL holders is much lower than it is for people who have a non-commercial driver’s license. The legal limit for a driver who holds a CDL license in a commercial vehicle is 0.04 percent. Professional drivers who are charged and convicted of driving under the influence face severe penalties, and these penalties can damage their ability to make a living as a commercial driver. A DUI received while driving a personal vehicle can also affect the person’s professional CDL license status, as both will be suspended.

Out-of-State DUI

Non-Pennsylvania residents who have been charged with driving under the influence inside of Pennsylvania can find themselves without driving privileges in their home state, as well as in Pennsylvania. They will also find themselves having to go back and forth from Pennsylvania to their home state, or having to extend their visit to Pennsylvania to handle their driving under the influence charge. Most states are participants in a consortium that shares information on DUI charges, so there will be no hiding from the consequences if your state is a member.

Driving Under the Influence of Drugs

There has been an increase in the number of people who have been charged for driving under the influence of drugs in the Pittsburgh area over the last decade. Most people know about the state’s laws in regards to alcohol and driving, but have no idea about Pennsylvania’s drug driving laws, which are just as strict. It is illegal for a driver to be in physical control of a motor vehicle when he or she is under the influence of any drug or controlled substance. If a chemical test indicates that you have been doing so, you could be facing drug driving under the influence charges.

DUI and Prescription Drugs

Some prescription drugs can be highly intoxicating. Taking those drugs and then driving can lead to a drugged driving charge. Many prescription drugs contain substances like hydrocodone, codeine, and oxycodone, and have been identified as leading causes of prescription drug driving under the influence charges. Even over the counter drugs, like Benadryl, can make you sleepy and affect your driving, resulting in DUI charges. Make sure you read the labels on all drug packaging and follow the guidelines for taking it.

DUI in any of its forms is bad news. If you have been arrested for driving under the influence, call Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney Sean Logue and his associates at Logue Law. They have been thoroughly trained in the understanding of Pennsylvania’s DUI laws, and will defend you aggressively, guiding you to the best possible outcome. Call them 24/7 at (412) 612-2210 or 412-389-0805, or contact them online here. Initial consultations free. Logue Law serves Pittsburgh, PA, Ohio, and West Virginia.

If you have been charged with DUI, don’t wait to call an attorney. Having the services of a dedicated, experienced, and trained DUI lawyer can make a big difference in your future after your court date.