CROSS-EXAMINATION OF POLICE OFFICERS: MARYLAND DUI CASES
DUI LAWYER IN MARYLAND – A TOUGH ADVOCATE FOR THE DEFENSE
If you are arrested or charged with DUI, it’s crucial to talk with an experienced Baltimore DUI lawyer as soon as possible. Anything you say, whether it’s at the roadside where you were stopped, in a police car or at the police station can and will be used as evidence against you. You have rights, but if you don’t know them, you could find yourself in more trouble than you should. I am Mark A. Epstein, Attorney at Law. I have extensive experience (over 30 years) in defending clients who are facing DUI charges. There are many DUI defenses, many of which involve exposing the serious errors made by law enforcement. Precise cross-examinations of police officers in hearings or at trials can be a very effective defense tool, leading to a reduction of charges, a dismissal, or a not guilty verdict.
Police officers must fill out a report of the arrest, making sure it’s accurate, complete, and truthful. Many times an officer may fail to note all the necessary information, and often it is facts that were not reported that may completely change the outcome of a DUI case. A thorough cross-examination of a police officer could, for example, reveal that the results of a field sobriety test were not graded per the manual’s guidelines but by officer’s subjective viewpoint of the defendant, or the tests were conducted completely incorrectly. An officer could say he smelled alcohol on your breath and arrested you. During cross-examination, it could be established that the officer could not determine whether you had only had a sip of alcohol or several drinks, or was able to actually smell alcohol at all.
In another example, the officer could be called upon to show the court how he demonstrated for the defendant how to do the one-leg stand, one of the field sobriety tests. It’s happened frequently that the officer cannot do the test himself, opening the door to the validity of the test results of the defendant.
QUALITY, AGGRESSIVE DUI DEFENSE IN MARYLAND
Whether you are convicted of DUI will lie mostly, if not entirely, on the evidence against you and the ability to aggressively challenge this evidence. My knowledge and experience enables me to know just how to challenge the “evidence” and poke holes in the prosecution’s case, especially when cross examining a police officer. With an aggressive and targeted defense strategy, your chances of an acquittal can greatly increase. Don’t take any risk with your future in a DUI case. Contact my firm now.