Alcohol Crimes

Salt Lake City Alcohol Crime Attorneys

Defending Clients Facing Charges for Alcohol-Related Crimes

You are driving one night when a police officer pulls you over. What you think is a routine stop suddenly turns into a sobriety test, and you have to take a breathalyzer. Now, you’re charged with a DUI and don’t know what to do next. It’s important to contact a Salt Lake City alcohol crimes lawyer from Conyers & Nix for guidance on moving forward after being accused of a serious crime.

In another scenario, you might face a criminal charge of having an open container in your car or taking alcohol over state lines into Utah, or maybe you’re dealing with other alcohol-related charges. Either way, you need legal advice from a Utah criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. Even if you think there is no hope and assume you will have to plead guilty, that might not be the case. In fact, you could have several options for responding to your charges – and you could even get them expunged from your record with the help of a skilled criminal law team.

If you’ve been charged with an alcohol crime in Utah or are worried you’re going to be, then the Salt Lake City criminal defense lawyer team at Conyers & Nix is here to serve you. When you hire one of us, you hire both of us, guaranteeing you always have a collaborative legal team by your side. Together, we have several years of experience working with clients who have been charged with alcohol crimes, and we can guide you through every step of the legal process to hopefully achieve your ideal outcome. Though we can’t make any promises, we will fight hard for you no matter what. Contact our Salt Lake City criminal law firm today to schedule a consultation with our compassionate criminal defense lawyers.

What Alcohol-Crime Related Practice Areas Do Our Utah Attorneys Handle?

Our criminal defense attorneys have years of experience representing clients accused of misdemeanor and felony crimes. Our practice areas include drug crimes, sex crimes, white-collar crimes, and violent crimes, but many of the criminal cases we take on involve alcohol-related crimes. These can occur whether you’re caught impaired while driving, in public, or while underage. The following are some of the alcohol-related charges we can defend you from and what penalties to expect if you’re convicted:

Salt Lake City DUI Charges

Utah has the strictest drinking laws in the United States. The state was the first one to lower the blood alcohol content limit to .05%, which is below the typical .08%. This law means if you are a 180-pound man, you cannot legally drive after drinking about two alcoholic drinks. If you’re a woman, you’re likely able to drink even less if you want to remain sober enough to drive, according to Utah’s laws regarding alcohol.

If you have a DUI on your record, you could serve jail time, pay fines, have your driver’s license suspended, or be ordered to put an ignition interlock device on your vehicle. If you have been charged with DUI three times within ten years, you will face felony DUI charges. While these are worrisome scenarios, our Utah criminal law team is here to help you prepare for them as soon as possible.

Open Container Violations

If you drive with an open container of alcohol in the passenger area of your car, you could be charged with a class C Misdemeanor, spend time in jail, and pay fines. When you hire Conyers & Nix to defend you from this allegation, we will collect information about what happened when you are charged with possessing an open container and figure out how to handle it in court. Perhaps you had the open container in a permissible place in your car, like your trunk, or it was never actually opened. We’ll make sure to look for all opportunities we could utilize in court to defend you.

If you are charged with an open container violation and don’t know where to turn for help, we’re available. Contact us for a consultation to discuss your criminal defense options with a defense lawyer when facing criminal charges in Utah.

Underage Drinking in Utah

There is zero tolerance for underage drinking in Utah. If you’re under 21, you cannot purchase or drink alcohol, and you cannot ask another person to purchase it for you. If you are found guilty of this crime, you will be ordered to attend a substance abuse class and have your license suspended for a certain period of time. If you don’t yet have your license, your future application for one could be put on hold.

You can also be charged if you’re an adult who gives alcohol to a minor or buys it for them. This is a misdemeanor and you may have to pay thousands of dollars in fines and serve jail time if you’re found guilty.

Our Salt Lake City criminal defense lawyers understand that the circumstances of your case are unique, so we’ll provide the personal attention you need for your case to determine your options moving forward. If you’re facing underage drinking charges, we are here to help. Call us for a consultation with a criminal defense attorney serving Salt Lake City, UT.

Public Intoxication

A public intoxication charge means a person was allegedly under the influence in public and potentially put others in harm’s way. If you’re charged with this crime, you could end up with a misdemeanor on your record and have your license suspended if you are under 21.

Public intoxication charges can seem intimidating, but we’re on your side. When you hire Conyers & Nix to fight this accusation, we will go over the details of your case and come up with a way to contest your charges, so call us today.

Additional Utah Drinking Laws

Utah has distinctive drinking laws that are unlike those of other states. For instance, you can’t drive over state lines with alcohol or order an alcoholic drink past 1 a.m. in an establishment. Since this state has stricter laws than others, you might not be familiar with them and face criminal charges you weren’t expecting. When this occurs, we will determine the angle to approach your case depending on the details of your situation.

If you have been charged with violating a drinking law in Utah and don’t have legal representation, contact our Salt Lake City criminal defense firm for legal support today.

What Should You Know About Utah DUI Charges?

One of the most common alcohol-related crimes is driving under the influence (DUI). Unfortunately, it is also among the most serious of these types of crimes since you could face jail time and costly fines if convicted. That’s why you need to hire an experienced attorney to present your DUI defense case in court. Throughout our years of legal education and experience representing clients, we’ve found that certain details can make a significant difference in a DUI case. Consider some information we’ve found helpful for our clients facing criminal charges for driving under the influence.

Field Sobriety Tests and Preliminary Breath Tests

When an officer stops you for a DUI, they will ask you to perform three roadside tests called field sobriety tests. It’s important to know that you’re not required to undergo these tests during the traffic stop. In fact, we recommend that you politely turn them down when an officer asks you to take them.

After all, field sobriety tests are designed to find clues of impairment that will lead to your arrest. If you don’t take the tests, the officer won’t have the clues to arrest you. You cannot be forced to take the tests.

After you refuse, the officer will ask you to blow into a small machine to take a Preliminary Breath Test. This is another test that you’re not legally required to take. We suggest that you politely decline so you don’t give the officer more evidence to use against you.

Breath Tests and Blood Tests

If you’re arrested for a DUI, the officer will ask you to take a breath or blood test. You now have a decision to make: (A) agree to the test, and if you’re over the limit, your license could be suspended for 120 days; or (B) refuse the test, and your license will be suspended for 18 months.

We recommend that you only consent to the test after you are arrested so that your license is only in jeopardy for 120 days. If you refuse, the police will apply for an electronic warrant, a judge will sign it, and the police will draw your blood anyway.

If you have an option, we recommend you choose the breath test. In court, a breath test is easier to attack through one or more legal defense angles than a blood test.

Driver License Hearing

After you are arrested for DUI in Utah, you should first file an appeal with the Utah Driver License Division. It must be filed within ten days. If you don’t file an appeal, your license will automatically be suspended 30 days after your arrest. If you file an appeal, a hearing will occur within 30 days after your arrest.

At the hearing, you can represent yourself or be represented by an attorney. We advise you to call our DUI lawyers for quality representation if ever you face DUI charges.

The hearing officer will determine five things:

  • If a police officer had grounds to believe you were in “actual physical control” (driving)  of a vehicle
  • If you were asked to take a chemical test (breath or blood test)
  • Whether you refused
  • Whether you were warned of the potential consequences
  • Whether you submitted to the chemical test

The police officer who arrested you will testify in court, and you or your attorney will have the chance to cross-examine them. If the police officer fails to appear at the hearing, the DLD will not suspend your license.

Getting a DUI in Utah is stressful because you don’t know what could happen with your case. It is possible that you’ll end up with jail or prison time if convicted, depending on if you are facing a felony or misdemeanor charge, so you don’t want to take any chances with your criminal case. If you’re worried about the possible outcome, please call our Salt Lake City criminal law firm to speak with our DUI lawyers for help with your charges.

 What Are Some Defenses to Alcohol-Related Charges?

Being charged with alcohol and drug crimes can be scary, especially in a state that’s known for taking such offenses very seriously. However, it’s important not to lose hope regarding your case. Facing criminal charges is not the same as being convicted of them. Hiring a skilled Salt Lake City criminal defense lawyer will give you a chance to show you’re not guilty as charged and should therefore not be sentenced to harsh penalties.

Our team of criminal defense attorneys will work hard to get your criminal charges dismissed or reduced. We can do so by carefully reviewing the details of your case to determine what evidence the police collected to use against you. We will then find ways to argue against that evidence as we build your criminal defense case.

For example, if you’re charged with DUI because you failed the field sobriety tests, our Salt Lake City, UT criminal defense attorneys can argue that this is because you suffer from certain medical conditions that make it challenging for you to balance, follow a light with your eyes, or walk a straight line. We can also argue that the tests were incorrectly administered or interpreted by the police.

If your blood or breath test results in your DUI case were 0.05% or higher, we can find reasons to challenge the results depending on the circumstances. First, we can examine whether the testing equipment was properly calibrated or otherwise maintained, since lack of maintenance can affect the results. We’ll also explore whether the test was properly administered by the police and ensure the test samples were stored correctly. If the answer is no, the results won’t be accurate and your Salt Lake City criminal defense lawyer can ask for them to be excluded from your case.

Another way an experienced criminal defense attorney can defend you from alcohol-related crimes is by ensuring the police didn’t violate your legal rights before, during, or after the arrest. They must have probable cause to pull you over in your car or stop you while walking in a public area. Some examples could include witnessing you driving erratically or stumbling while walking. If there is no evidence that the police witnessed these actions before approaching you, they might have violated your rights. The same goes if they did not read you your Miranda rights when you were arrested or if they searched your vehicle without probable cause or a warrant.

An experienced criminal defense attorney will consider these and other details before determining the right criminal defense angle for your case. If you’re curious how a criminal lawyer from our Salt Lake City criminal law firm would defend you from allegations involving serious alcohol or drug crimes, contact us to schedule a consultation with our caring attorneys.

 How Can Salt Lake City Alcohol Crime Attorneys Benefit Your Case?

If you’re worried about being convicted of a serious criminal offense in Salt Lake City, UT, contact Conyers & Nix for experienced legal representation throughout your criminal defense case. Our skilled criminal defense attorneys have successfully represented thousands of clients in the Salt Lake City area and have a proven track record of working hard to get the best outcome on every case.

We understand how terrifying it is to be accused of serious offenses, from alcohol and drug crimes to sex crimes and violent crimes. This concern is why our Salt Lake City criminal lawyers are transparent with clients at every stage in the legal process. During all criminal cases, we keep our clients informed so they are empowered to make decisions regarding their future. Instead of going straight to a plea deal like many other criminal defense lawyers often do, we fight for clients to achieve better results. We only advise seeking a plea deal when there is no other choice, but rest assured that we’ll examine every angle before helping you decide what to do.

No matter what crime you’ve been accused of in Salt Lake City, Utah, you deserve legal support from a trusted criminal defense attorney. The defense lawyers at our criminal law firm have served as public defenders for clients in the toughest situations imaginable. Now, we’re ready to help you fight your criminal charges and move on with your life in a productive and healthy way. If you’re ready to learn more about how our criminal law team can help with your case, call 385-469-1097 for a consultation with a caring criminal defense attorney serving the Salt Lake City area.