December 2009

DWI and DUI Defendants No Longer Eligible for D.C.’s Diversion Program

December 30, 2009 DUI and Driving Offenses

Effective January 1, 2010, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in Washington D.C. will no longer accept people charged with DWI or DUI into the D.C. diversion program. The diversion program has traditionally been a good way for a first-time offender with a low blood alcohol content to avoid prosecution. Admission into the program [...]

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Criminal Defense Attorney Challenges to the Breath Test in a Washington, D.C. DWI or DUI Case

December 26, 2009 DUI and Driving Offenses

Over the last couple of weeks, I have covered potential legal challenges along every step of an arrest for driving while intoxicated (DWI), driving under the influence (DUI), or operating while impaired (OWI) in Washington, D.C. Specifically, I have discussed potential challenges to the police officer’s initial stop of the vehicle and the officer’s decision [...]

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The “No-Lose” Question on Cross-Examination

December 21, 2009 Evidence

Criminal defense attorneys spend a lot of time before trial trying to anticipate the testimony of witnesses who will be called by the prosecution to testify. A familiar piece of advice, one that has worked its way into the English lexicon, is not to ask a question you don’t know the answer to.   In other [...]

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A Neophyte Deals with Search Engine Optimization

December 19, 2009 Law Marketing/Networking

Ever since I set up this website a couple of months ago, I have had many offers – for a fee, of course – to improve the site’s ranking on Google.  I have always been a neophyte when it comes to matters involving the Internet.  I also have to admit that, prior to launching the [...]

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Avoiding a DWI/DUI in Washington, DC: How Many Drinks Are Too Many?

December 16, 2009 DUI and Driving Offenses

How many drinks are too many? If you asked my mother that question, or any of her teetotalling relatives, the response would be: That’s simple, stupid. Any number of drinks is too many. In this context, however, my real question is actually different. How many alcoholic drinks can you have without exceeding the legal limit [...]

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Field Sobriety Tests in Washington, DC: The One-Leg-Stand

December 16, 2009 DUI and Driving Offenses

Administration of the Standardized Field Sobriety Test is one of the methods police officers use to investigate a possible DWI, DUI, or OWI in Washington, D.C.  In previous entries, I have discussed potential challenges to the first two components of this three-pronged test:  the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test and the Walk-and-Turn Test.  Today’s entry focuses [...]

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Tiger Woods, DUI, and the Husband-Wife Privilege

December 15, 2009 DUI and Driving Offenses

Tiger Woods’ car accident the day after Thanksgiving illustrates a number of the DWI, DUI and OWI issues I have discussed on this blog.  The fact that Woods was charged with careless driving but not drinking-and-driving does not prove that Woods was sober at the time of the accident.  In fact, all indications suggest that [...]

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Use of Billboards to Advertise a Law Practice

December 14, 2009 Law Marketing/Networking

In the movie “I Love You, Man,” Paul Rudd plays a bland, well-meaning real estate broker named Peter Klaven who, among other things, can’t seem to get his business off the ground.  A friend tricks him into putting up billboards all over the city, and Klavens’ business flourishes. While I have considered a number of [...]

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The Walk-and-Turn Field Sobriety Test in Washington, D.C.

December 13, 2009 DUI and Driving Offenses

There are many ways for a criminal defense lawyer to challenge the walk-and-turn field sobriety test when representing a client charged with DWI, DUI, or OWI in Washington, D.C. Previous entries have focused on challenges to each step of a police officer investigation into a possible DWI, DUI, or OWI.  On November 25, 2009, for [...]

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Koehler Law Featured on MyShingle.Com

December 9, 2009 Law Marketing/Networking

Koehler Law is currently being featured on MyShingle.Com, which is a leading blog for solo legal practitioners and small law firms.  Run by the grande dame – or dean – of solo practitioners, Carolyn Elefant, MyShingle.Com has up to 1000 visitors a day, with an additional 1500 people following the site through Really Simple Syndication (RSS) [...]

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