Driving Under the Influence & Other Traffic Offenses

Driving-related offenses, including DUI, DWI, driving without insurance or with a suspended license, hit-and-runs, and vehicular manslaughter are serious criminal offenses in the State of Maryland. You need the skilled DUI and traffic offenses defense attorneys of Silverman Thompson. 

At Silverman Thompson, our criminal traffic trial team is headed up by Senior Partner and former prosecutor Brian G. Thompson. Mr. Thompson and his team of attorneys have decades of experience handling these types of cases, both as former Assistant State’s Attorneys and as defense lawyers. And unlike many other attorneys who handle traffic cases, Mr. Thompson and his team practice exclusively in the area of criminal and traffic defense. The attorneys on our team are in criminal traffic court every day.   

Driving Under the Influence

Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (DUI), for which one can be sentenced to prison, carries not only potential jail time but also large fines and “points” that will be assessed by the Motor Vehicle Administration.    

There are two types of drinking and driving offenses in Maryland:  

1. Driving while impaired, commonly known as a DWI  

2. Driving while under the influence, commonly known as a DUI   

Read our guide to Maryland DUI/DWI frequently asked questions  

It is a crime to drive while impaired with drugs, even legal drugs. Punishments for DWIs and DUIs can result in jail time, fines, and points on a driving record. Subsequent offenses can increase the punishments that a person receives, with jail time that can go up to ten years.    

Traffic Violations and Vehicular Manslaughter 

In Maryland, there are traffic violations that a person can be charged with and sentenced to prison. Traffic offenses can result in either payable offenses, such as a speeding ticket or running a stop sign, or a must appear offense. Such must appear offenses include:   

• Driving with a suspended license  

• Hit and run  

• Vehicular manslaughter  

• Fleeing and eluding   

• Leaving the scene of an accident   

• Driving without insurance  

The above listed are serious criminal offenses in the State of Maryland. These offenses carry not only potential jail time, but also large fines and points on a driving record that will be assessed by the Motor Vehicle Administration.  

Vehicular Manslaughter 

Vehicular manslaughter, sometimes called vehicular homicide, is a criminal charge that is applied when a person causes the death of another person while driving recklessly or negligently. In vehicular manslaughter cases, there is no premeditation or intent to cause harm to the other person.   

In Mayland, there are two categories of vehicular manslaughter:   

• Manslaughter by vehicle is charged when a person causes the death of another is a grossly negligent manner   

• Criminally negligent manslaughter by vehicle is when a person causes the death of another in a criminally negligent manner  

The difference between gross negligence and criminal negligence is that gross implies a substantial deviation from what a reasonable driver would do, and criminal implies a failure to perceive a substantial risk that a reasonable person would perceive.   

Manslaughter by vehicle is a felony and can carry up to ten years in prison and a fine up to $5,000. Criminally negligent manslaughter by vehicle is a misdemeanor and can carry up to 3 years in prison and a fine up to $5,000.  

Hire an Aggressive Criminal Defense Lawyer

At Silverman Thompson, our DUI attorneys have combined decades of experience handling these types of cases in Baltimore, Maryland and surrounding counties, both as prosecutors and defense lawyers. We will attack the government’s drunk driving case from the moment you were stopped by the police through your arrest and blood alcohol content testing to make sure the police acted legally and treated you fairly. 

• Were you illegally stopped? 

• Did the police conduct the field sobriety tests correctly? 

• Were you properly advised of your rights? 

• Was your arrest legal? 

• Was the equipment used by the police to test your blood alcohol content properly maintained and calibrated? 

• Were you denied your right to speak to an attorney? 

Several things can happen to you after you are arrested for a traffic-related offense; you may face jail time and/or other forms of punishment, lose your license, be fined, be put on probation, and see large increases in your car insurance premiums. Maryland drivers should be knowledgeable of their legal rights and seek out a skilled Maryland defense attorney. 

Meet Our Team

Our team of attorneys has the experience to defend you and the expertise to exploit mistakes that are very often made by the police to your advantage. We know how important your freedom and your privilege to drive are to you, and we will aggressively fight to ensure that you keep them. 

The criminal defense team at Silverman Thompson is committed to providing our clients with the highest standard of defense. If you or a loved one requires defense in a case regarding DUIs or a traffic-related matter, please contact us toll-free at 800-385-2243 for a free consultation.     

Disclaimer: This page is informative in nature. The information contained herein is not to be considered legal advice and there is no attorney-client relationship formed between Silverman Thompson and the reader.