Mahopac Legal Blog

Though there are many ways that an attorney can help you fight a DWI charge, it's important that the right technique is used in your defense. Depending on the reason for the traffic stop and the factors that played a role in the DWI, certain defense options may be better than others.

There are four primary DWI defenses to consider. They include:

• Showing that the accused was not driving at the time of the traffic stop or that they were not under the influence
• Arrest defenses, which may argue that an arrest was not completed within the confines of the law
• Officer testimony defenses, which challenge the officer's observations
• Blood alcohol concentration defenses, which challenge the results of Breathalyzer tests or other samples

When your parents are getting older, you might be wondering about their end-of-life plans. You know some of their wishes, like what happens if they fall ill or have to go to a nursing home, but no one has outright spoken about their estate plans or other specifics.

It's a good idea to sit your parents down to talk to them about this, especially if you believe that you may be appointed as their financial power of attorney. A power of attorney is a document that appoints someone to make financial decisions on behalf of an ill or impaired person who cannot make their own decisions. This is particularly important as older people age, especially if there is a risk of dementia, Alzheimer's disease or other memory-related illnesses. You should talk to your parents about their wishes and who they want making sensitive decisions when they can no longer do so.

When you were stopped and asked if you had been drinking, you were surprised. You hadn't been, so you were honest and told the officer that you didn't drink before driving.

Unfortunately, despite a clean Breathalyzer test, you didn't pass the field sobriety tests. The officer was convinced that you were taking drugs or medications that impaired you, so you ended up being placed under arrest and were taken into the station.

Many people in New York and elsewhere have short tempers. You may be one of those people, and even though you try your best to keep your temper in check, certain things just seem to set you off. In particular, if you are on the road and another driver seems to be driving too slow or otherwise affecting your commute in a negative way, you may easily become aggravated.

You may not necessarily consider yourself an aggressive driver, but you could fall into that category without realizing it. Unfortunately, if others could see your driving behavior as reckless or aggressive, you could end up in trouble with law enforcement.