ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA FEDERAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY CASE RESULT:
Federal misdemeanor charge for DUI on the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, under 32 CFR 234.17, resulted in DISMISSAL of the DUI charge for insufficient evidence. A related Refusal to Submit to Breath Test charge resulted in probationary driving restrictions and an alcohol class.
Courthouse: United States District Court Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria: 401 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, VA 22314.
Applicable Federal DUI Law: 32 CFR 234.17 (in relevant part)
(c)Operating under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or controlled substances.
(1) Operating or being in actual physical control of a vehicle is prohibited while: (i) Under the influence of alcohol, a drug or drugs, a controlled substance or controlled substances, or any combination thereof, to a degree that renders the operator incapable of safe operation; or (ii) The alcohol concentration in the operator’s blood or breath is 0.08 grams or more of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood or 0.08 grams or more of alcohol per 210 liters of breath. Provided, however, that if State law that applies to operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol establishes more restrictive limits of alcohol concentration in the operator’s blood or breath, those limits supersede the limits specified in this paragraph.
(2) The provisions of paragraph (c)(1) of this section shall also apply to an operator who is or has been legally entitled to use alcohol or another drug.
(3) Tests. (i) At the request or direction of an authorized person who has probable cause to believe that an operator of a vehicle within the Pentagon Reservation has violated a provision of paragraph (c)(1) of this section, the operator shall submit to one or more tests of the blood, breath, saliva, or urine for the purpose of determining blood alcohol, drug, and controlled substance content. (ii) Refusal by an operator to submit to a test is prohibited and may result in detention and citation by an authorized person. Proof of refusal may be admissible in any related judicial proceeding. (iii) Any test or tests for the presence of alcohol, drugs, and controlled substances shall be determined by and administered at the direction of an authorized person. (iv) Any test shall be conducted by using accepted scientific methods and equipment of proven accuracy and reliability operated by personnel certified in its use.
(4) Presumptive levels. (i) The results of chemical or other quantitative tests are intended to supplement the elements of probable cause used as the basis for the arrest of an operator charged with a violation of this section. If the alcohol concentration in the operator’s blood or breath at the time of the testing is less than the alcohol concentration specified in paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section, this fact does not give rise to any presumption that the operator is or is not under the influence of alcohol. (ii) The provisions of paragraphs (c)(3) and (c)(4)(i) of this section are not intended to limit the introduction of any other competent evidence bearing upon the question of whether the operator, at the time of the alleged violation, was under the influence of alcohol, a drug or drugs, or a controlled substance or controlled substances, or any combination thereof.
Read more about Alexandria Federal criminal defense attorney Marina Medvin, who represented this client and achieved this result.
Read more about DUI Law: Virginia DUI Laws, Penalties and Defenses Explained by DWI Attorney for Alexandria, Fairfax, Arlington.
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