DUI Lawyer in Las Vegas, NV
In Nevada, you can be convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) for multiple reasons. Unfortunately, a conviction can mean the loss of your driver’s license, your freedom, and hundreds of dollars. Do not hesitate. A DUI attorney in Las Vegas can help. Call the criminal defense attorneys at Adras & Altig for fast, dedicated legal services when you need help the most. We will review your criminal charges for free.
The standard for a guilty verdict under Nevada’s Illegal Per Se DUI law is a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or above. However, a person can be arrested and convicted of DUI in Nevada with less than a 0.08 percent blood alcohol concentration if they are believed to be under the influence of alcohol and/or a controlled substance, which includes prescription and over-the-counter medications.
You don’t even have to be driving to be charged with a DUI in Nevada — you are required only to be in “actual physical control” of your vehicle.
No one should risk a potential conviction under Nevada’s complex and strict Nevada DUI laws. At Adras & Altig, Attorneys at Law, our experienced Las Vegas DUI defense lawyers have more than a decade of experience successfully handling these complex cases. We know that there are two sides to every story, and drivers arrested for DUI are often charged before all the facts are available.
Our legal team of Las Vegas DUI lawyers works to gather all the evidence available in DUI arrests in Nevada to build a solid and persuasive defense for each of our clients. We will fight for your rights and aggressively argue for charges against you to be dismissed or reduced.
Schedule a free consultation to discuss your DUI arrest with our understanding Las Vegas criminal defense lawyers. We’re not here to judge you. Instead, a Las Vegas DUI lawyer is here to help you and treat you with the personalized attention and respect you deserve. We pride ourselves on being available and responsive, so you will never be left wondering what is happening in your case.
Contact our law firm today to start building a strong defense against the Las Vegas DUI felony you face.
What to Expect If You’re Facing DUI Charges in Las Vegas, Nevada
Regardless of any alleged alcohol intake, the stress of being arrested for DUI in Las Vegas can make it challenging to keep up with what is being said and done as you are apprehended, booked, and jailed. However, you have a short time after a DUI arrest to take action to help yourself.
Within seven days of a DUI charge in Nevada, you must request an administrative hearing before the Department of Motor Vehicles to halt the suspension of your driver’s license. Otherwise, the DMV can suspend even a first-time offender’s driver’s license for 90 days without a trial or guilty verdict.
Suppose your license is suspended for 90 days (or a year or more on subsequent offenses), you must pay reinstatement fees and penalties, complete several DMV tests, and buy expensive specialized auto insurance to have driving privileges restored.
If you need to drive — for work, school, the doctor, or groceries — you can apply for a “restricted license” after a certain period. But you must act to make it happen.
A courtroom trial on felony DUI is separate. However, suppose you are convicted of DUI in Nevada. In that case, you may face jail, fines, community service, vehicle impoundment, mandatory alcohol education classes, and mandatory attendance before a DUI victim impact panel. In addition, you’ll carry a criminal record forward from that point in time, which could adversely affect your employment prospects.
Getting a DUI in Nevada is a serious matter. The State of Nevada doesn’t care if it’s only your first time. Prosecutors will still seek the maximum sentence. That’s why you need someone who knows what they are doing to fight for you in court and in the DMV license revocation hearing.
Contact our experienced DUI attorneys in Las Vegas as soon as possible after an arrest, so we begin fighting a legal process that, if left unchecked, can permanently damage your life.
How Do Our DUI Attorneys Defend DUI Charges in Las Vegas, NV?
We understand the embarrassment and stress that comes with being charged with DUI. However, being accused of DUI is not the same as being convicted of DUI. You have a right to every legal defense available to help you avoid jail, fines, loss of your driving privileges, and other penalties.
Our experienced DUI lawyer can provide a solid and strategic defense against DUI felonies. We will thoroughly investigate the circumstances of your arrest and the alleged evidence against you to evaluate your options. As a result, we may be able to have the charges you face reduced or dropped without you ever appearing in court.
It is not unusual for drunk driving charges to be dropped or dismissed because of:
- Improper arrests, such as an illegal checkpoint, lack of probable cause for a traffic stop or to conduct a field sobriety test, or failure to advise of Miranda rights
- Unreliability of field sobriety tests, including the adverse effect of environmental factors (wet roads, flashing lights, crowds, disadvantageous footwear, etc.) or personal factors, such as a defendant’s prior injury or physical or mental disability
- Problems with evidence, such as a breath test conducted beyond the two-hour time limit or an officer not being certified to operate the breath machine
- Unreliable or unavailable witnesses, which is not unusual in a tourist destination like Las Vegas
- Evidence that supports the defendant’s innocence, such as witness statements attesting to sobriety or that the drinking began after the person parked the car
The law now specifically excludes a person from arrest who is:
- Sleeping
- Not in the driver’s seat
- Unable, under the facts presented, to have driven the vehicle to its current location while under the influence
- In a vehicle that is lawfully parked
- In a vehicle with the engine turned off
Someone who has chosen to sleep in the car’s back seat with the engine turned off instead of driving after drinking should not be charged with DUI.
The State of Nevada also recognizes two special defenses for DUI charges:
- Medical episode: A DUI charge should be dismissed if the driver can show that a medical condition rather than impairment caused a crash, erratic driving, or whatever incident led to the traffic stop, arrest, etc.
- Necessity: If the defendant drove to avoid physical harm, such as to flee an assault or to obtain assistance for a passenger needing emergency medical care, the “lesser of two evils” may be weighed and charges dismissed.
The dedicated Las Vegas DUI lawyers at Adras & Altig have over a decade of experience successfully defending Nevada residents and out-of-state visitors who faced driving under the influence charges in Clark County. Contact our criminal defense lawyers now to learn how we can help you.
