Prince George's County DUI Lawyer

Prince George’s County is the second largest county in Maryland by population, and one of most heavily traveled counties in the country. There are numerous major highways in PG County including the notorious Interstate 495, which surrounds the Washington D.C. metro area. 495, also known as the Capital Beltway, can have extreme levels of traffic at all hours, and is known for being too windy and narrow in several areas. As a result, there is a heavy police presence on the beltway that includes targeted DUI patrols by the Maryland State Police and at times the Prince George’s County Police. Interstates 95, 295 and 595 also run through the county, as well as busy highways such as U.S. 1, U.S. 301, MD 3 and MD 4. All of these highways are the source of numerous traffic and criminal cases. If you are on the receiving end of a citation contact Prince George’s County DUI lawyer Benjamin Herbst anytime for a free consultation. Benjamin has successfully defended hundreds of clients facing all types of impaired driving charges including repeat offenders, driving while impaired by drugs, DUI with a minor present and juvenile DUI charges. He also specializes in federal DUI charges and other traffic infractions received on federal property or on the BW Parkway (295). Benjamin offers free consultations and flexible payments plans for all traffic infractions.

Anyone charged with a traffic violation that carries the possibility of jail time in PG County will be summonsed to appear at the district court in Upper Marlboro or Hyattsville. Those who receive federal citations will be ordered to appear at the federal courthouse in Greenbelt. Typically, these cases are first set for a preliminary inquiry and then are set for trial. Officers are not required to be present at the preliminary inquiry, but will be required to attend the trial date. Prince George’s County has a unique way conducting court, and often times this ends of benefitting the defendant. Benjamin has won numerous trials in PG County and has over 15 years of experience practicing in both district courts as well as the circuit court. He is available 7 days a week to explain the defenses that may be available in your case.

In addition to the state and county police, there are also several local police agencies that patrol the streets of Prince George’s County. The College Park Police and the Bowie Police are two of the larger departments in the county, as well as the Greenbelt and Laurel Police. Other cities in the county include Seat Pleasant, New Carrollton and District Heights. Benjamin has experience representing those who are charged with crimes at the University of Maryland College Park, which has its own police department as does Bowie State University. Many of the DUI cases that originate at college campuses happen in parking lots or on small streets as a result of a fender bender, and many of the defendants are from out of state.

Benjamin can provide specific advice concerning your driving privileges regardless of whether you hold a Maryland license or an out of state license. Defendants from out of state who are charged with DUI will not have their license confiscated by a Maryland police officer, but their privilege to drive within Maryland will be suspended after 45 days. In some cases, the only way to drive legally beyond the 45 days is to obtain a Maryland driver’s license and install the interlock device. A driver’s home state, including states such as Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia and Virginia, will not likely be informed of the arrest until after the case is over. Anyone convicted of DUI or DWI could face an additional suspension in his or her home state. Benjamin has represented clients from dozens of different states and can offer detailed advice about how to keep your license valid. It starts with fighting for a dismissal or acquittal, and that is exactly how Benjamin approaches each Prince George’s County DUI.