In Minnesota, DWI and DUI are basically synonymous terms. DWI stands for Driving While Impaired. DUI means Driving Under the Influence. Some states use DUI, others DWI, and some OWI. They all basically mean the same thing – that someone was driving while under the influence or while impaired. Minnesota uses the term DWI –…
Yes. It is worth getting a lawyer for a DUI in Minnesota. Of course, you expect that to be an answer from a private law firm practicing criminal defense. But, a DUI lawyer who knows the nuances of DUI laws can add a level of knowledge that you otherwise may not have. Further, being charged…
When evaluating whether you can beat your DWI case in Minnesota, a common first analysis is to look at how you came in contact with the police. Often, DWI cases start with a traffic stop. Others may begin with the vehicle already at a place of rest. In either scenario, you will want to review…
After an incident, it might be weeks, months, or even years before prosecutors bring formal charges against a defendant. In State v. Banks, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that a complaint can be dismissed under Rule 30.02 of the Minnesota Criminal Rules of Procedure if the prosecutors unnecessarily delayed in bringing those charges. In order…
Last week, Attorney Robert Ambrose won an implied consent hearing in Hennepin County District Court. An implied consent hearing is a challenge to a person’s driver’s license being revoked in connection with a DWI case. To keep a person’s driving record from reflecting a revocation for a DWI, you must prevent a DWI conviction in…
Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (DUID) in Minnesota operates under the same DWI laws for alcohol related DWIs in Minnesota. DWI charges can arise from being under the influence of a controlled substance, under the influence of an intoxicating substance, a combination of those two or with alcohol, and if any amount of a…
Not every DWI in Minnesota requires the driver to get on the ignition interlock program to obtain their driver’s license. For instance, if someone has no prior DWIs in their past and their alcohol concentration level measures under .16, then they do not need ignition interlock. Instead, they can obtain a limited license (a.k.a. work…
Being arrested for a DWI in Minnesota may also lead to another offense, even if unbeknownst to the driver at the time of the DWI. For those who carry a firearm, either on their person, or in their vehicle within arm’s reach, they could face charges of Carrying While Under the Influence of Alcohol or…
Eight years ago, the Supreme Court of the United States decided a prominent DWI case that had repercussions on DWI laws across the country, including Minnesota. That case was Missouri v. McNeely. That case determined that a nonconsensual warrantless blood test violates a person’s Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches. In its…
A proffer is technically a written agreement. It is an agreement between a Prosecutor and a Defendant, or witness, in which information about a crime is exchanged for the promise that their information and words will not be used against them in a later Court Hearing. After entering into a Proffer (the Agreement) a meeting…
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