Arlington, VA DUI Defense Attorney

Committed Criminal Defense Lawyer Fighting for Your Rights After a DUI Arrest in Arlington

When you are charged with DUI in Virginia, you could be facing serious consequences. The driver's license suspension alone has the potential to interfere with every aspect of your life. You may be worried about losing your jobs due to a lack of reliable transportation. You may also be concerned about the fines and potential jail time that could accompany a DUI conviction.

Virginia's notoriously harsh drunk driving laws are designed to strongly discourage intoxicated driving. However, they can have a disproportionate effect on ordinarily law-abiding citizens who made a one-time mistake. In addition, DUI arrests are not always fair. Many people have been arrested because medical conditions or other issues caused them to perform poorly on field sobriety tests, because they smell of cannabis after being around others who were smoking it, or due to a faulty BAC reading from an officer's portable breath testing device.

Noorishad Law, P.C. fights back against unfair DUI charges, working to help our clients avoid convictions. Arlington, VA DUI attorney Kaveh Noorishad is results-driven and client-focused. He will approach your case strategically and aggressively by identifying the best possible defense strategy for you. Many DUI defendants have powerful legal defenses they are unaware of until an experienced criminal defense attorney discovers them. Attorney Noorhishad maintains a direct line of communication with all clients, so you will always be well-informed about what is happening in your case.

How Serious Is a DUI Charge in Virginia?

A first-time DUI with no aggravating factors is a misdemeanor, but it could still carry up to a year of jail time and a one-year license suspension. A second DUI may also be charged as a misdemeanor. However, you can be charged with felony DUI if you have multiple prior convictions or if there were aggravating factors. Many people who are charged with DUI are also charged with related offenses, which are sometimes more serious. You may face felony charges after a DUI arrest in cases involving:

• Bodily Injury or Death: If you allegedly caused a traffic accident that injured or killed someone, you could face extremely serious felony charges, such as DUI manslaughter.
• Multiple DUI Convictions: A third or subsequent DUI is a felony charge. You could face a long prison term and an indefinite suspension of your driving privileges.
• Child Passengers: If you had a child in your car when you were arrested, you might also be charged with felony child endangerment.
• Drugs: Many people charged with drug-related DUI are also charged with drug possession or more serious drug crimes.
• Hit and Run: If you allegedly left the scene after causing an accident, you could face felony charges.

You might also face increased sentencing in a misdemeanor DUI case if your BAC was particularly high.

Possible Defenses in a DUI Case

The police are skilled at making people arrested for DUI feel as though their cases are hopeless. However, this is rarely true. Attorney Noorishad believes that no case is hopeless. Even when the evidence is overwhelming, there is a lot he can do to protect you. A few common DUI defenses include:

• Excluding Flawed Evidence: Field sobriety test results and even chemical BAC test results are often inaccurate. Unreliable evidence should not be used against you.
• Excluding Illegal Evidence: Evidence that was collected illegally cannot be used in court. If the traffic stop that led to your arrest was unconstitutional, the state will likely lose nearly all of its evidence.
• Proving an Affirmative Defense: There are several affirmative defenses that are occasionally used in DUI cases. You may have the defense of involuntary intoxication if you were given an intoxicant without your knowledge, or the defense of necessity may apply if you had to drive in emergency circumstances.

Contact Our Arlington, VA DUI Defense Lawyer

Noorishad Law, P.C. works to make the impossible possible in DUI cases. Aggressive Arlington DUI attorney Kaveh Noorishad is the lawyer other lawyers hire. He has been recognized by numerous professional organizations, such as Super Lawyers and the American Institute of DUI/DWI Attorneys. Contact us at 703-542-4500 for a complimentary consultation.