Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and DC Suspended Driver’s License Lawyer
Charges of driving with a suspended or revoked driver’s license usually result from a traffic stop. A routine check of your driver’s license will reveal the suspension or revocation. Many times, a police officer on the road will randomly run your tag of the vehicle you are driving to determine its status. Once you are stopped, they will inevitably make a determination about your license.
Most people don’t realize that driving on a revoked or suspended license carries with it a potential 60-day or one-year jail sentence and a fine. Multiple offenses can easily result in a conviction and jail if the case is not handled properly. Just as important is the fact that having a traffic/criminal conviction on your record can severely limit employment possibilities.
In some cases, people are not even aware that their driver’s license has been suspended. Simply forgetting to renew your driver’s license or failing to pay traffic tickets can result in a suspension.
JC Law has defended people throughout Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and DC who have been charged with driving with a suspended or revoked license. We offer a free initial consultation to discuss your case.
Protecting Your Driving Privileges
In today’s society, it’s difficult to get by without driving. As a result, many people who lose their driver’s license due to a DUI arrest or multiple traffic tickets choose to drive anyway. That can lead to criminal charges and an even longer suspension.
Driving with a suspended or revoked license is a misdemeanor, which is far more serious than a traffic ticket. If you are convicted, you will have a permanent criminal record, which could potentially affect your employment.
As your law firm, our goal is to prevent a mistake from resulting in a criminal record that will follow you around for the rest of your life. The first step in resolving these charges is to deal with the issue that led to your driver’s license suspension or revocation in the first place.
DMV Hearings Lawyer
If you are arrested on suspicion of DUI, you face a potential suspension of your driver’s license before you are even convicted of drunk driving. You have only 10 days (30 in some situations) from the date of your arrest to request a hearing with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to prevent a suspension. Most people don’t realize how important it is to hire an attorney to represent them at this hearing.
What Is A DMV Hearing?
A DMV hearing is an administrative action authorized under COMAR and various Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and DC Statutes that gives the Department of Motor Vehicles the ability to sanction you for offenses such as a DUI arrest, too many points, suspensions, revocations, etc. Under the current laws, your driver’s license can be suspended even if you are later cleared of the criminal charge of drunk driving.
DMV hearings are very difficult to win if you represent yourself. An experienced attorney can advise you on how to prepare and present evidence favorable to you. An attorney can also use the hearing as an opportunity to review and challenge the DMV’s case against you. For example, as your legal representation, we may have an opportunity to cross-examine the police officer who arrested you and find out if the stop was legal according to administrative procedures. If the police did not have a reasonable belief that you operated a motor vehicle while under the influence, then the MVA may not be successful in their case against you.
- If your BAC was .15 or higher there are additional potential sanctions against you
- Even if your BAC was below a .05 there still could be potential criminal sanctions
- If you have an “out of state license” there could still be sanctions against you
- CDLs need to be protected because of the enormous consequences
- Test refusals carry potential additional consequences and can be used in a criminal charge against you
- Police incorrectly advising you regarding test procedures can potentially lead to a “not guilty”
