Roanoke Virginia Criminal Defense Law Blog

Most drivers in Virginia and across the country know of the importance of being fully vigilant so that they can respond to road conditions that could potentially change rapidly. Unfortunately, even the most vigilant of drivers are not always able to respond quickly enough to unexpected obstacles due to visibility issues, for example. Despite this, law enforcement officials may be quick to make assumptions about the cause of an accident. For example, a woman now faces DUI accusations following a recent collision.

The accident that led to allegations against the woman reportedly happened during the evening hours of a day in early November. Reports indicate that a 46-year-old man was in the road, backing a vehicle into a driveway. A 63-year-old woman apparently failed to stop, and she crossed the dividing line and hit the man's pickup truck. 

The holiday season is a time for friends, family, good times and maybe even some alcohol. While there's nothing wrong with enjoying a few drinks when spending time with loved ones, you don't want to go overboard. And it goes without saying that it's critical to avoid driving after you've consumed alcohol.

Here's the problem: You're so excited about the holidays and everything going on around you that you overlook just how much you're drinking. This increases the likelihood of getting behind the wheel when you're drunk, which can result in your arrest and a variety of potential consequences.

You may stand to lose quite a bit if you end up being convicted of a felony in Roanoke. Depending on the offense in question, heavy fines or even a forfeiture of freedom in the form of a prison sentence (or a combination of both) may await you. You should you lose everything? As hard as it may be to believe, there are actual legal principles that dictate that certain offenses could lead to such a loss.

The concept of an “attainder” is one that arose during old English (from which many of the legal principles that we currently recognize came). It equated to a metaphorical stain associated with a person when they became associated with a serious offense. Being assigned an attainder meant that the assignee forfeited both their title and property (and in many cases, their lives). With an attainder also came the idea of “corruption of blood,” which basically meant that an offender’s family was also punished for being associated with them, and thus could not inherit anything from them.

Virginia residents like you should understand that DUI cases are handled very seriously in the state. Even a first-time DUI-related conviction can result in you losing your license for a time. Robert F. Rider, PLC, is here to talk about the possibility of pursuing restricted driving privileges if your license has been suspended.

Restricted driving privileges allow a driver whose license has been suspended due to a DUI-related incident to drive even with the suspension in place. However, you are only allowed to drive in certain situations. Driving for recreational purposes such as going to the movies or meeting up with friends are usually not covered under a restricted license. Instead, it is meant to be used for things like attending school, work, medical appointments or religious activities.