On May 5, 2023, the Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys’ Association is holding its 19th Annual Advanced DUI Defense Seminar at the Doubletree Hotel in Linthicum, Maryland. The seminar, organized and run by Leonard R. Stamm in conjunction with the MCDAA will feature presentations by experienced lawyers as well as an…
The Washington Post recently ran a story by reporter Dan Morse about testing volunteers high on weed to practice the tests they run when they suspect a driver is impaired by marijuana. The story quoted attorney Leonard R. Stamm. Such drug impairment tests are regularly challenged in court across the…
In legislation enacted last year, the legislature amended statutes governing breath testing in Maryland, effective October 1, 2022. Previously, relevant statutes delegated to the toxicologist under the Post-Mortem Examiner’s Commission in Baltimore, the responsibility for approving equipment used for blood and breath testing in Maryland. The new law transfers that…
On March 21, 2022, the Director of the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division notified the State’s Attorney co-ordinator for Maryland that the MSP lab would cease doing blood alcohol testing because the accrediting agency determined their testing procedure violated scientific requirements for blood alcohol testing. Read the letter here.…
Recent articles in the New York Times have raised questions about the reliability of breath testing devices used across the country in DUI cases. These Machines Can Put You in Jail. Don’t Trust Them and 5 Reasons to Question Alcohol Breath Tests. The authors also interviewed a defense lawyer and…
Every state prohibits drunk driving. Every state also acknowledges that it is legal to drink alcohol and then drive if the alcohol consumed does not impair one’s abilities. The amount of alcohol that a person can drink in an evening and be safely under the legal limit varies from person…
Many people will remember the nurse in Utah who refused to draw blood in a DUI case under directions from a police officer and was arrested. She subsequently settled a lawsuit for $500,000 and the officer was fired. As a result the Utah legislature tried to fix the problem. In…
The National College for DUI Defense held its Winter Session in Atlanta this past week. The program was titled “Prescription for Disaster” on the topic of defending DUI cases involving prescription drugs. The speakers included Tony Palacios and Ron Lloyd on “Learn What the Cops are Taught: Drugs That Impair…
Last week, on March 22 and 23, 2017, the National College for DUI Defense and Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association successfully concluded their jointly sponsored annual Mastering Scientific Evidence seminar in New Orleans. Speakers included Robert Hirschhorn on Winning Voir Dire in Breath, Blood & Accident Cases, Amber Spurlock on Mining for…
The National College for DUI Defense (NCDD) and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) just wrapped up their annual Las Vegas seminar. As usual, it was well attended and the presentations were very informative. The conference featured presentations on Thursday, September 22, on cross-examination by Jim Nesci; accident…