Getting Your Drivers License Back After Alaska DUI Conviction
Reader’s Question:
A friend of mine has a DUI conviction here in Alaska and he is getting ready to get his license back. How can he be able to restore his driving privileges?
Blair
Anchorage, AK
Since your friend has a DUI conviction in Alaska, the state has revoked his license or privilege to drive. His driving record shows that Alaska has taken some actions against his license. Because of that, he has to take some steps in reinstating his driver’s license.
To get his driver’s license back, he needs to apply for a new license at a Division of Motor Vehicles office. He has to pass the vision and written tests and he may need a road test as well. He also has to pay the necessary reinstatement and license fees. SR22 form is also needed as a proof of insurance. If he doesn’t have SR22 insurance yet, he can get an online quote for SR22 insurance in Alaska from this website. He would also have to present proof of birth and identity. In most DUI convictions, he might have to contact a local Alcohol Safety Action Program (ASAP). He may need a proof of completion of an approved treatment program from ASAP.
Possible Alaska DUI Defenses
Reader’s Question:
My son has been arrested for DUI in Alaska and we feel like he has a big chance of winning his case. Nonetheless, we still want to know the possible defenses that he can use on his case. What are the attacks that we can use to help my son on his DUI case?
Addison
Anchorage, AK
Although not every possible DUI attack is applicable on every case, there are many DUI defenses that you can use to help your son defend his DUI case. First is that if the police officer lacked probable cause to stop your son. In Alaska, and anywhere in the US, police officers cannot pull you because they feel like it. An officer who initiated a traffic stop must have a lawful reason to pull you over. If the officer lacked a lawful reason to pull your son over, any evidence gathered after the stop may be suppressed. In this case your son would be entitled to an evidentiary hearing to see if the information should be suppressed.
Another thing is if the officer lacked probable cause to arrest your son. An officer can only arrest a person only if probable cause exists to believe a crime was committed. In your son’s DUI case, the evidence gathered by the officer must support the officer’s belief that your son has been operating his vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant. This probable cause will be formed based generally on the observations of the officer. Bloodshot eyes, performance of roadside tests, preliminary breath tests and smell of intoxicants can all be a basis for probable cause to arrest.
Alaska DWI Arrest
Reader’s Question:
Driving home late last Saturday night, I was stopped for DWI by a police officer here in Anchorage, Alaska. He asked me to step out of the car and was requested to take a breathalyzer test and some field sobriety tests. I was then taken to the police station and charged with DWI. My breathalyzer result was just a little over the legal limit of .08. Is there a way for me to escape conviction?
Courtney
Anchorage, Alaska
We all know the seriousness of a DWI case and how it affects not only your insurance but you as an individual. It’s not surprising that many people feel helpless when facing a DWI charge because a majority of DWI-related arrests do lead to a subsequent conviction in court.
However, with so many laws requiring DWI suspects to submit to test after test, and wide use of breathalyzer devices despite fierce ongoing controversy over its reliability, impossible as it may seem, you’re not that helpless after all.
Every state, with the exception of Massachusetts, considers a DWI offense as a crime. DWI is usually defined as having a blood/alcohol level that is either above or at a predetermined level, normally 0.10. Some states set the legal limit lower; most of these are at 0.08 percent.
If a solid justification to pull you over is not presented by the police officer to the courts, your DWI case in Anchorage, Alaska will most likely be dismissed. If the initial arrest was made without probable cause, prosecutors cannot obtain a conviction. The standard probable cause means that, in order to pull you over, a police officer must have a reasonable belief that you have or are committing a crime (driving while intoxicated). This is a violation of your Constitutional rights and it immediately voids any evidence against you resulting from the arrest. So, it is important that you note the following details during the arrest:
- The place where you’re going
- The level of your own level of intoxication (if any)
- The reason given to you by the police officer why you’re stopped
-The things you’re asked to do by the police officer
Which Anchorage Alaska DUI Lawyer Should You Hire?
Reader’s Question:
My daughter was arrested for DUI in Anchorage, Alaska and we were told that it is very important for us to hire the services of a DUI lawyer. Why can’t we just get any lawyer?
Van
Anchorage, AK
If your daughter has been arrested for DUI in Anchorage, Alaska, it is imperative that you hire a DUI lawyer to represent your daughter on her DUI case. You should hire an Alaska DUI & Criminal Defense lawyer that focuses his practice on defending those accused of a DUI. This kind of lawyer spends hundreds of hours perfecting the defense of those accused of DUI. Most of them have read all relevant publications, including hundreds of DUI and Criminal Defense Blogs from all over the country. They also regularly attend legal education seminars devoted to DUI defense.
A lawyer who focuses his attention on DUI cases only knows expert witnesses and understands the in’s and out’s of DUI cases to best help your daughter on her defense. The law is way too complicated these days for a lawyer to be a jack-of-all-trades. When your daughter’s reputation, money, job, or freedom is on the line, she needs a lawyer that makes Alaska DUI & Criminal Defense his priority.