***UNDER RECONSTRUCTION***

OUI Lawyer serving Eastern and Central Connecticut, including Hartford, Tolland, Windham, New London, and Middlesex Counties

Have you been charged with Operating Under the Influence (OUI) in Eastern or Central Connecticut?  For an Immediate Consultation, Give J. Christopher Llinas at Llinas Law, LLC a Call 860-530-1781

The minute you saw those flashing red and blue lights in your rearview mirror, you knew you were in trouble.

You may had been drinking but felt well enough to drive. Before you knew it, you were sitting handcuffed in the backseat of a police patrol vehicle.

You may have made a bad decision. We all do.

And right now, you have a million questions running through your mind…

 

“Will my driver’s license be suspended?”

“How much money will this cost me in fines?”

“Will I have to go to jail?”

“If this goes on my permanent record, could it impact my current or future employment status?”

 

Operating Under the Influence (OUI) of alcohol and/or drugs is a serious offense that can have life-altering consequences, both before the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and before the Courts.  Before the DMV, you face the potential suspension of your driver’s license, and the installation of an ignition interlock device in your vehicle.  And before the Courts, you face possible jail time, probation, fines, and court costs.  That’s why you need an experienced and trusted criminal and traffic defense lawyer by your side.

 

J. Christopher Llinas at Llinas Law, LLC is a former prosecutor, public defender, and private defense attorney with over 20 years experience tackling tough cases.  With that experience, he will listen carefully to the specifics of your drunk driving case, and work with you to craft a defense that attempts to provide you with the best possible outcome.

Call J. Christopher Llinas at Llinas Law, LLC today at 860-530-1781 for a FREE consultation.

Before the DMV

The Issues at the Hearing

Before the DMV, there are 4 key issues the hearing officer to consider in determining whether to suspend your driver’s license for either producing a blood alcohol content (BAC) result of 0.08 or refusing to submit to a BAC test (usually a breathalyzer):

1. Whether the officer had probable cause to arrest you for OUI;
2. Whether you were placed under arrest;
3. Whether, within 2 hours of operation, you refused to submit to a BAC test or did submit and produced a result of 0.08 or more; and
4. Whether you were operating a motor vehicle.

Relative to these 4 key issues, there are a number of defense strategies, often technical, that we may be able to pursue. Please keep in mind, however, that without knowing the details of your case, these may or not be relevant.  These issues may include:

• Whether you were properly and fully advised of your administrative rights and the liabilities associated with your choice of whether or not to submit to a BAC test
• Whether you were properly advised of and taken through the regimen of field sobriety tests (FST’s)
• Whether the officer “dotted all his i’s and crossed all his t’s” relative to the applicable procedures and administrative paperwork associated with your case
• Whether the breathalyzer machine in your case was in proper working order, and was properly used utilized, in accord with manufacturer and departmental guidelines and procedures
• Whether you had a medical condition that caused you to be unable to provide a sufficient breath sample, despite your best efforts to do so

Possible Administrative Consequences

If you fail to request a DMV hearing, or, if you request one, and the DMV hearing officer concludes that in the affirmative on the 4 issues noted above, they will order that your license or privilege to drive in Connecticut be suspended for 45 days, and that this suspension then by followed by a period of time with an ignition interlock in your vehicle.  That period depends on whether you submitted to the test or refused, and on whether you have any prior such offenses in the past, and can run anywhere from 6 months to 3 years in length.

Before the Court

The Main Issue

Before the Court, the main issue is whether the State can prove you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of each and every element of the offense of Operating Under the Influence (OUI).  The elements of OUI are as follows:

Element 1 – You operated a motor vehicle

• “Operation” in Connecticut is defined broadly, to include “intentionally doing any act or making use of any mechanical or electrical agency that alone, or in sequence, will set in motion the motive power of the vehicle.”

Element 2 – At the time you operated the motor vehicle, you were:

• under the influence of alcohol, any drug, or both, such that your mental, physical, or nervous processes were so affected that you lacked to an appreciable degree the ability to function properly in relation to operation of your motor vehicle,” OR
• You had an elevated blood alcohol content of 0.08 or more (grams per 100 milliliters of blood, or grams per 210 deciliters of breath)

The Primary Areas of Inquiry

1. The Stop – This is matter of constitutional matter, where the issue is whether the police had reasonable suspicion or probable cause to stop you, or, if you were already stopped, to approach you.  It could be for an equipment violation, a traffic violation, or suspicion of a criminal offense, but it has to be supported by specific and articulable facts.  The police can’t just stop you on a hunch.
2. The Officer’s Initial Observations – This all has to do with initial indicators of possible intoxication, like odor of alcohol on breath and person, bloodshot and glassy eyes, slurred speech, fumbling to get license and registration, how you move when getting out of the car, etc.  The challenge here is often to show that the observed conduct is related to some cause other than intoxication.
3. The Field Sobriety Tests – These are 3 special tests, developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), to help the officer establish probable cause, or not, as to whether you are under the influence.  1) the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test, where the officer holds a pen in front of your eyes, and has you follow it with your eyes; 2) the Walk & Turn test, where the officer has you walk 9 steps, turn around, and walk 9 steps back; and 3) the One-Legged Stand test, where the officer has you stand on one leg, with the other leg extended off the ground, for a count of 30.  The instruction and demonstration of these tests is highly technical, as are the “clues” of intoxication the officer is looking for.
4. Any Searches of Your Person or Vehicle
5. Any Statements You Make While in Custody
6. The Arrest
7. The Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) Test, or The Refusal

 

Do You Need an OUI Lawyer for Hebron, Connecticut?

If you have been charged with a OUI it is in your best interest to provide the best possible legal defense for your case. Call J. Christopher Llinas at Llinas Law, LLC today to arrange a free consultation and discuss the specifics of your case. The sooner you call the better chance you have for a positive outcome. Call today:  860-530-1781