Pittsburgh And Western Pa DUI/DWI Criminal Defense Lawyers

The criminal defense lawyers of the Allegheny County law firm of DeRiso Law Group represent individuals in western Pennsylvania who have been charged with drunk driving or DUI-related crimes. As criminal defense lawyers with over sixty years of combined experience, our attorneys have successfully defended clients in cases that range from first-time DUI to vehicular manslaughter where alcohol or drugs are a factor. If you’ve been arrested for a DUI/DWI, you could be facing jail, fines, a criminal records, and the suspension or revocation of your Pennsylvania driver’s license. Contact a reputable DUI defense lawyer with broad experience in PA drunk driving cases; contact the criminal defense lawyers of DeRiso Law Group.

DUI Crimes in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

The criminal defense lawyers at the Pittsburgh, PA law firm of DeRiso Law Group represent individuals charged with all levels of DUI and the accompanying traffic offenses. In the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, DUI charges are assigned according to the level of impairment as measured by Blood Alcohol Content (BAC):

• General Impairment: .08% – .099%
• High BAC: .10 – .159%
• Highest BAC: .16% and higher

Most individuals who are charged with Driving Under the Influence in Allegheny County and other parts of Pennsylvania, fall within the first two categories, but there is not that great of a difference between the General Impairment and Highest BAC categories, and only a few additional drinks may push an individual to the next highest level. Regardless of which intoxication level the police claim that you reached, you need to take the matter seriously. The criminal defense attorneys at DeRiso Law Group represent individuals who have been charged with:

• First DUI
• Second DUI
• Multiple DUIs (Three or more)
• Homicide by Vehicle while DUI (Mandatory 3-6 years)
• Manslaughter and Vehicular Homicide
• DUI Accident with Injuries
• Hit and Run
• Driving While Under the Influence of Drugs
• DUI under the age of 21

DUI penalties in PA can range from fines and short-term suspensions for first-time, general impairment offenses, to jail, long-term suspension, and an interlock ignition system requirement for more serious charges.

Drug Recognition Experts in DUI Cases

Pennsylvania now uses DRE’s (Drug Recognition Experts) to evaluate drivers before requesting more specific testing. This is a specialized area of criminal law and our firm has successfully defended the first case of its kind in Pennsylvania. This landmark case required the use and consultation of a number of experts as this testing is unique to the Commonwealth. The addition of DREs provides our firm an additional avenue of attack in the defense of our clients who are charged with Driving Under the Influence. As attorneys involved in this groundbreaking legal defense, the lawyers of DeRiso Law Group represent your best chance of beating a DUI case by discrediting DRE testimony.

Implied Consent in Pennsylvania

As a condition of obtaining your PA driver’s license, you agree to submit to a breath or blood test upon request. Once you’ve been arrested for DUI, you will be reminded of this commitment and offered a breath or blood test. If you refuse, your license will be suspended for a year for the first refusal and eighteen months if it’s your second. Refusing to submit to a breath test does not prevent your arrest or stop the prosecution from proceeding with the case. Regardless of whether you submitted to a Breathalyzer test or not, the criminal defense lawyers of Pittsburgh’s DeRiso Law Group are interested in discussing your case.

To schedule an appointment with one of western Pennsylvania’s top DUI/DWI criminal defense lawyers, contact the Pittsburgh law firm of DeRiso Law Group at (412) 452-9712.