Pittsburgh DUI Lawyer
Drunk Driving Attorney in Pittsburgh, PA
Arrested in Pittsburgh for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Controlled Substance? A Pittsburgh DUI, or as the crime is also known, Driving After Imbibing or DAI, is a serious matter that must be handled by a practitioner experienced in this area of the law.
The Pittsburgh DUI law firm of Joseph A. Paletta has defended many hundreds of clients charged with DUI in Pittsburgh, and has the experience to identify all options, from ARD (Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition) to suppression issues to trial defenses, in order to decide the best option for the client's individual need.
Please consider some of Attorney Paletta's actual cases:
- Client drove his pick-up truck with a non-functioning tail light. Police followed Client for approximately two blocks before stopping him. After Police detected the odor of alcohol, Client agreed to submit to a breathalyzer test and alcohol was detected. Attorney Paletta argued that Defendant was capable of safe driving despite alcohol which registered on the test because Police followed Client for two blocks and saw no driving errors (like erratic driving or crossing the painted road lines), just a mechanical malfunction. Client found Not Guilty. Com. of PA v. M.T.
- Client ran out of gas on a state road, pulled completely off the road, called for help, and waited in the car. Sometime later, police arrived to investigate/offer assistance, and detected an odor of alcohol on client which caused his arrest for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol (D.U.I.). Attorney Paletta argued that police never saw client driving the vehicle, never saw the vehicle on the road, and could not prove when the vehicle was driven last. Client was successful and the prosecution was dismissed. Com. of PA v. B.M.
- Client was observed to be intoxicated in a hospital and was instructed by security to enter his vehicle and leave parking lot and property. Backing out of a parking spot, Client bumped another parked vehicle, causing security to call Police who arrested client for DUI. Attorney Paletta successfully litigated two Pre-Trial Motions, a Habeas Corpus Petition and a Motion to Suppress evidence. Client was successful and the prosecution was dismissed without a trial. Com. of PA v. R.P.
Penalties for Driving Under the Influence
For the first offense, your license to drive is revoked, and if convicted, you are subject to jail time, heavy fines, and a court license suspension of six months to three years. With each subsequent offense, Pennsylvania's penalties for driving under the influence become stiffer. Even if you were not involved in an accident, you could spend up to a year in jail, lose your car, have your license permanently revoked, and be subject to fines up to $10,000.
If you refuse field sobriety testing, your license is automatically suspended temporarily. If you have already been convicted of DUI on multiple occasions, your refusal may cost a five-year license suspension.
Depending on previous offenses or refusals, you can have your license automatically suspended for a period of 90 days to five years. The administrative suspension is independent of any jail term, fine, or other criminal penalty imposed in court for a Pittsburgh DUI offense.
If you are facing DUI or DAI charges, Pittsburgh DUI lawyer Joseph A. Paletta, Esq. can help. You need to have an experienced DUI attorney on your side as soon as possible to discuss the facts and options before your first hearing date, typically the Preliminary Hearing. Contact our offices at 888-673-3224 or 412-391-7999 or fill out our quick contact web form.
