July 4th falls on Thursday of this week. Many festivities are going to be held on the prior weekend (June 29th and 30th), followed by what amounts to a four day weekend the following week.
We're expecting to see heightened patrols in the City of Columbia, Town of Lexington, Irmo, and surrounding communities. Additionally the South Carolina Highway Patrol and the Lexington County Sheriff's Departments are planning checkpoints. Not only will the roads be saturated with law enforcement, expect to see DNR actively patrolling Lake Murray making BUI cases.
Keep the following in mind if you face a ticket or an arrest during this time:
- Zero Tolerance policies can result in tickets or arrests being made even in situations where there isn't enough evidence to convict in court
- If your license was taken by a police officer you have a limited amount of time (30 days), to object to the suspension with the DMV. Otherwise you face a suspension and an ADSAP requirement even if your DUI is later dismissed.
- The initial court date on tickets is a bench trial. If you agree to a bench trial you give up the majority of your rights that can help you avoid an unnecessary conviction.
- South Carolina DUI is not based on the BAC level (or number) reported by the breath test machine. You can be considered not-guilty regardless of the number (and the inverse is true, the court can find you guilty even if you blow a lower number).
Our office is here to help those facing a DUI, BUI or other charge. The first step is to call for a free consultation. Our lawyers are all members of the National College of DUI Defense, and are very experienced in helping clients facing DUI. No case is too extreme or difficult for us to help with. If your license was taken by the police officer we can help you object to the suspension and legally get back on the road fast, usually filing the paperwork the same day we are hired.