Can The Police Search Your Cell Phone When They Arrest You?
No, according to two recent Supreme Court decisions – Riley v. California and U.S. v. Wurie. In a companion ruling, the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Roberts, held that: (1) the interest in protecting officers’ safety does not justify dispensing with the warrant requirement for searches of cell phone data; and (2) the interest in preventing […]
AVVO, Go Rate Yourself!
For attorneys who rely on our reputations to stand alone without advertising like Allyson, ratings matter. Honest, legitimate ratings from clients, attorneys and those familiar with the justice system matter. That is why I thought that AVVO should matter. I was wrong. The AVVO website ostensibly set up to help the public sort through lawyers […]
Courtroom Education Can Be Expensive
ALBUQUERQUE – Four charges, including a DWI, against an Albuquerque man have been dropped thanks to two Assistant District Attorneys who reportedly didn’t play fair. How’s that? They were giving a witness advice from the audience. On Sept. 27, 2014, Ronald Cordova was pulled over near Amherst and Gibson after police say he was speeding and blew higher […]
Please Don’t Blow!
Although it’s true that breathalyzers are, by themselves, inaccurate, many people are mistake when they believe that they can trick a breathalyzer into producing a lower reading. In fact, many of the “tricks” that people believe will lower the breathalyzer will have no effect on the reading or may actually increase the reading. Here are […]
What Not To Do When You Go To Court
We are often asked by clients what needs to be done in preparation for court. That you will get from us in person. Someone failed to give a Longmont, Colorado advice on how to prepare. According to a Colorado ABC News affiliate, a woman appeared in court last week “drunk off her ass” when she […]
Sobriety Court
York County PA is becoming known for leading the nation with an innovative program, called Target 25, to reduce repeat drunk driving. Judge John S. Kennedy observed that many of the DUI defendants in his court were committing additional drunk-driving offenses between their arrest and when they appeared for trial or to enter a plea. […]
Pot Plus Booze Doubles Odds For Drunk Driving, Study Says
Drinkers who smoke marijuana as they imbibe are twice as likely to drive drunk compared with people who stick to alcohol alone, a new study reports. These “simultaneous” users are also three times more likely to face social troubles as a result of drinking and marijuana — drunken brawls, broken marriages, damaged relationships and ruined […]
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
Calling social media “the next frontier in the developing law of the service of process over the internet,” a New York judge has allowed service of divorce papers via Facebook private messaging. This is either a cold invasion of one’s social media space or a practical solution to a service problem. Either way, it’s something […]
So You Think You Want A New Car…
Ahhh that new car smell. Sirius satellite radio. Plush leather seats. Burled walnut dash. Cool new hands-free parallel parking. Pre-installed breathalyzer, a permanent ignition interlock device if you will. What? Wait a minute! Could such technology actually prevent OWIs? According a recent study in the American Journal of Public Health the answer is yes. Installing […]
Higher Alcohol Taxes May Lead To Fewer Drunk-Driving Deaths
Higher alcohol taxes in Illinois are associated with a decrease in alcohol-related car crash deaths, a new study finds. “Similar alcohol tax increases implemented across the country could prevent thousands of deaths from car crashes each year,” Alexander Wagenaar, a professor in the department of health outcomes and policy at the University of Florida in […]