Reader’s Question:

I was surprised that the police officer immediately confiscated my driver’s license after I was arrested for DUI here in Anchorage, Alaska. Isn’t that they have to prove that I was guilty first before they punish me, so how can they do that if I was presumed to be innocent?

Maiya

Anchorage, AK

Unfortunately, that should always be the case in a DUI arrest in Anchorage, Alaska. The Department of Motor Vehicles is actually required by law to immediately suspend the driver’s license of anyone arrested for DUI who has a .08% blood alcohol content, takes a blood or urine test that will be analyzed later or refuses to take any test. The driver’s license is taken on the spot and the DUI suspension is legally effective the moment the police officer signs the notice and hands it to you.

If we view it in another way, the police officer in a drunk driving case is constable, prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner and anyone has absolutely no rights. As a matter of fact, if you took a blood or urine test, they don’t even wait for the results (which will come back from the lab days later). Not only they presume you guilty, they also presume that the evidence will eventually show it.

Tags: drunk driving laws, DUI, DUI arrest, DUI lawyer

Reader’s Question:

I wanna help my father get out of his DUI charge in Anchorage, Alaska. He has a good driving record over the years and it’s hard to believe that he was caught drunk driving. How will a DUI lawyer help him in his situation?

Francine

Anchorage, AK

There are a lot of things that a DUI lawyer can do for your father to help him on his DUI case in Anchorage, Alaska. The DUI lawyer can help him out on his Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) hearing to fight for his driver’s license. He must request this hearing within seven days of arrest and the DUI lawyer could be able to guide him on this.

Chemical tests or blood alcohol tests are not always right and the DUI lawyer knows several ways to find out the inaccuracy of the blood alcohol tests. And in doing so, the DUI lawyer could be able to successfully challenge the blood alcohol test results. Experienced DUI lawyers can actually get the maintenance records for the equipment used in the testing. They can also find out the results for the other persons who were tested around the time your father was tested. He has to be prepared, too because no defense is ready unless he is taught how to present himself on the witness stand.

Tags: DUI, DUI advice, DUI lawyer