Thursday, March 11, 2010

Defeating A DWI

I love to surf, the internet that is. Just yesterday I punched in the above terms "defeating a dwi" and what pops up number one but an article by me. At first I was excited, a google number one, then my expression changed as I saw that my name was left off, and admin was put on as the author.

This was a website for a chemical that eliminates odor from your breath. It was being marketed to drinkers who wish to avoid detection as in if you are ever stopped for a traffic infraction just a quick spray and the cops will go away. As I delved further I found more articles sans name. My anger at this internet piracy grew. The articles mentioned the death of my father the day after my 17th birthday, the name of one of my friends, and other personal information. Everything was there except credit to moi! I'm just a little Upstate New York DWI defense lawyer but I do have feelings. Ithaca inspires me to write and share so it is with joy that I create but give a guy credit.

Their site and my articles sans my name and info.

www.sobriety-checkpoint.net

http://www.sobriety-checkpoint.net/category/dwi-sobriety-checkpoints/

http://www.sobriety-checkpoint.net/tag/case/

My original articles:

http://www.articlesbase.com/criminal-articles/defeating-the-new-york-dwi-refusal-case-1330173.html

http://www.articlesbase.com/criminal-articles/the-power-of-words-in-dwi-case-1335602.html

http://www.articlesbase.com/criminal-articles/what-do-sex-and-intoxication-have-in-common-1330200.html

http://www.articlesbase.com/criminal-articles/defeating-a-new-york-dwi-by-beginning-with-the-end-in-mind-1335399.html

So on that note I wish to highlight the power of "honesty" in defeating a DWI. Some may think me mad in advocating for truthfulness and openness with a criminal case but I have found that not trying to cover up your fears is a better philosophy and strategy for long term success.

Jurors are not stupid. They have the same doubts and concerns as the lawyer looking at the case. If you do not allay their questions openly they will most assuredly be discussing them back in the Jury room.

We as DWI defense lawyers can not look to sweep dirt under rugs and pray that it is never discovered. Everything can be seen from different perspectives. The key with good advocacy is to put yourself in everyone's shoes. Put yourself in the shoes of the juror, put yourself in the shoes of the cop, put yourself in the shoes of the prosecutor, and put your self in the shoes of the judge. Now the case can be seen as a total whole and not a bunch of random pieces or events.

The facts of any DWI case are nothing without context. Someone has to have a viewpoint of that fact.

This is from an actual case. Fact, a driver was pulled over for having headlights that were too bright. The officer in his report made no mention of investigating or asking about the headlights. The motorist only traffic violation was the headlights but no detail or documentation of this fact, just a single ticket plus of course the DWI investigation and subsequent criminal charges.

I demanded a suppression hearing on the stop (was there reasonable suspicion), and the arrest (was there probable cause). My plan of attack was a whole line of questioning, first on the importance of the report and it's detail, then on the fact that my client showed him the dashboard, demonstrated the lights on and lights off controls. The "stop officer" had one goal for this stop (investigate the bright lights) and this sole purpose was never addressed by his investigation/inquiry.

All the DWI criminal charges were dropped. This was with a .15BAC. The outcome was a DWAI (traffic violation) pre-trial. My thoughts for this case were always that jurors would want to know, the judge would want to know THE BIG WHY? If you say the stop was for x why are you not checking x, asking about x, and investigating x?

I was able to listen to my client and get "the story" of this DWI case. His story included the lights where the officer's did not.

btw that Company in California that "borrowed" my content without giving me credit:

Pure One International

3400 West Warner Ave., Unit A

Santa Ana, CA 92704

714-641-1430

fax 714-641-1432

Bytes for All (Website creation/hosting) from someplace overseas.

I really do believe what comes around goes around so God bless them and may they reap the fruits of the seeds they sow.

Lawrence Newman, Esquire
607-229-5184
Ithaca, NY

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