Portland Criminal Law Blog

If you have been convicted of a crime in Oregon and are facing serious charges that could potentially result in your imprisonment for a significant length of time, you may be trying to do anything you can to lessen the consequences you are facing. In your efforts to put yourself in the best possible position, you have been looking into the possibility of accepting a plea bargain. 

Plea deals are surrounded by controversy but can provide you with valuable benefits if you are allowed the chance to accept such an agreement. Often, accepting a plea deal means you are agreeing to plead guilty to a portion of the charges you are facing under the agreement that prosecutors will lessen or drop other charges. A successful outcome may mean you will not face as serious of consequences or as long of a prison sentence in exchange for accepting the deal. 

If you are like a number of other Oregon citizens, you may unwind by going out for drinks with friends or attending a party. You may even plan ahead by designating a driver to stay sober throughout the evening, so that he or she may drive the others safely home. Yet, even though you may trust that the designated driver is sober and able to drive safe, you might be mistaken. A report released in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs found that up to 40 percent of designated drivers have consumed alcohol during the evening and may not be as sober as you think.

Researchers in the study looked at bar patrons over a period of three months. They targeted designated drivers and gave them a breath test to determine the drivers’ blood alcohol content level. Surprisingly, 40 percent of designated drivers had consumed alcohol to some degree and 18 percent had a BAC level of 0.05 percent or higher. Although the legal limit in most U.S. states is 0.08 percent, a 0.05 percent BAC can cause serious driving impairments.

Oregon State is one that cracks down hard on people who are convicted of driving while under the influence. Today, David J. Celuch takes a look at the different ways that having a DUI conviction could impact your life in both the short and long term.

Like many states, there are tiers that deal with the level of severity of a conviction, along with how many convictions a person has had in the past. For first-time offenders, the penalty can still be harsh as you will still have to pay any fines or fees associated with the incident. However, you may be able to apply for a diversion program. If you successfully complete it, you will be able to have the charges dropped. If you are unsuccessful, however, the sentencing will proceed.

If you want to appeal your conviction, you will need the right lawyer. In fact, you might not realize that it could be a mistake to hire your original trial lawyer for an appeals case. These cases require a different approach to the court system. You will need a lawyer trained in this specific area if you want to improve your chances to win an appeal.