Alternative Sentences. Can First-Time Offenders Avoid Jail?

Being arrested doesn’t mean you are guilty or that you will go to jail.

As criminal defense attorneys in Las Vegas, we continually remind clients that there are alternative sentences available to help many of them avoid jail time, especially for first-time, nonviolent offenders.

You may be familiar with some alternative sentences, such as fines, probation and community service. Nevada law also offers first-time offenders alternatives to jail like drug diversion programs, counseling in minor domestic violence cases and DUI classes available after a drunk driving conviction.

Most criminal charges are resolved in plea agreements negotiated with local prosecutors and approved by the courts. In many cases, finding an alternative to incarceration helps the state and society, as well as the defendant. The state and local governments benefit by avoiding the high cost of jailing a person. Prosecutors in Las Vegas and elsewhere in Nevada may agree to alternative sentencing if presented with a reasonable option.

A first-time, nonviolent offender in Las Vegas can go to jail if convicted, but probably won’t if he or she is properly represented by an experienced defense attorney. The criminal defense attorneys at Adras & Altig can provide you with effective legal representation with the goal of protecting your liberty.

Types of Alternative Sentencing Options in Nevada

Alternative sentences in Nevada are mostly available to individuals convicted of nonviolent misdemeanors. An alternative sentence is meant to provide the offender with an opportunity to learn from his or her mistake and get back on the right track.

A court may impose one or a combination of the following alternative sentences:

• Fine. A monetary penalty paid to the court.
• Restitution. An offender may be ordered to pay the victim of the crime for their losses.
• Probation. The offender’s conduct is monitored for a period of time through various requirements, such as meeting with a probation officer, or drug or alcohol testing. Probation can be revoked if its requirements are not met.
• Community service. The offender is assigned a certain number of hours they must spend at a task that benefits the community. Court-approved community service may include picking up trash along a highway, cleaning animal shelters, serving food at soup kitchens or other work for a non-profit organization. The Las Vegas Justice Court Community Service Program serves as a placement agency for defendants who are ordered to perform community service as a sentencing option.
• Suspended sentence. A judge may hand down a prison sentence and then order it suspended, meaning it will not be imposed. Some suspended sentences include conditions that the offender must meet, much like probation. A suspended sentence may be activated if the offender is re-arrested within a defined period or fails to meet conditions applied.
• House arrest. In lieu of jail time, an offender may serve his or her sentence at their own home with allowances for going to work. A person under house arrest is electronically monitored 24/7 and subject to unannounced visits by police or probation officers.
• Deferred Adjudication / Pretrial Diversion. Nevada and some local communities, such as Las Vegas, have established programs available to those accused or convicted of certain misdemeanors to allow them to avoid jail. The programs offer defendants the opportunity to show they can act responsibly, complete a defined program and stay out of trouble. Typically, the programs include classes and counseling.

Programs available through Las Vegas Municipal Court include:

• Domestic Violence Program. The program holds offenders accountable for their actions, helps challenge beliefs and attitudes that contribute to violence and provides participants with positive alternatives to violent behavior. For a first-time offender, there are 26 classes over six months. For a repeat offender, there are 52 classes over the course of a year.
• DUI Classes. Classes teach participants to be accountable for their actions, explain Nevada DUI laws and provide information about the effects of substances on a person’s ability to drive. Four two-hour classes or two four-hour classes.
• Drinking Driver Awareness. The focus of this class is reducing drinking and driving behavior by teaching the effects, consequences, and laws associated with driving under the influence. Four hours.
• Substance Abuse. Participants learn about accountability and how to make better decisions about drug and alcohol use so they may achieve a healthier lifestyle. Four two-hour classes or one eight-hour class.
• Impulse Control. Offenders who commit battery against non-family members are taught to be accountable for their actions and are provided positive alternatives to inappropriate and impulsive behavior. Impulse control: four two-hour classes or one eight-hour class.
• Petty Larceny Program. The class teaches the consequences of theft and holds offenders accountable for their actions. Four two-hour classes or one eight-hour class.
• Prostitution Prevention Class. Teaches the legal, social and health ramifications of engaging in prostitution. The goal is to reduce sexually transmitted diseases and to sensitize attendees to the victimization associated with prostitution. One eight-hour class.
• Attitudinal Dynamics of Driving. The class teaches critical thinking related to driving behaviors and attitudes that lead to tickets, accidents and/or arrests. One eight-hour class.
• Repeat Traffic Offender Class. The class reintroduces participants to defensive driving techniques and new driving techniques that will refine collision-prevention skills. One eight-hour class.

Am I Eligible for Alternative Sentencing?

A defendant usually has to ask the judge to be allowed to enter an alternative sentencing program. Alternative sentencing may occur as part of a plea agreement negotiated by your attorney with the understanding that the prosecutor will recommend the agreed-upon alternative sentencing program.

Alternative sentencing programs are available in misdemeanor cases in which no one has been significantly injured, such as:

• Shoplifting
• Drug possession
• Driving under the influence (DUI)
• Prostitution
• Simple battery
• Domestic violence.

Cases related to drugs or alcohol or domestic violence require an evaluation of your usage of impairing substances or criminal history, which results in a recommendation to the judge about whether you would benefit from the program.

How Can A Criminal Defense Lawyer Help Me in Las Vegas?

The bottom line is that many first offenders are eligible for alternative sentencing in Nevada. But you’ll need the help of a knowledgeable attorney. If you have been arrested in Las Vegas or elsewhere in Clark County, you need a reputable Las Vegas criminal defense attorney to negotiate an alternative sentencing recommendation.

The attorneys at Adras & Altig are respected local attorneys who have established professional relationships with local prosecutors. We will work on your behalf to seek a resolution to your case that has the least adverse impact on your life and liberty.

Our attorneys are familiar with local alternative sentencing options and will try to identify one for you that the court would find acceptable.

When you engage Adras & Altig as your Las Vegas criminal defense firm, Paul Adras and Steven Altig will handle your case as a team. They have extensive courtroom experience handling a wide range of cases. Contact us for a free discussion about how we can help you.

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Is Verbal Abuse Considered Domestic Violence?

Many fights among couples and other family members never go beyond shouting. But some people who our domestic violence defense attorneys represent are surprised that they have been arrested for spousal, child or elder abuse without ever laying a hand on anyone.

Saying “I never touched him/her” won’t help you in court. You need an actual verbal abuse defense. The crime of domestic battery in Nevada may include verbal and/or emotional abuse charges in many cases. You could even be sued for compensation if the target of the alleged verbal abuse can demonstrate that they suffered psychological trauma.

If arrested in Clark County, Nevada, you need an experienced Las Vegas domestic battery lawyer. At Adras & Altig, our dedicated domestic violence defense attorneys can help you tell your side of the story. Paul J. Adras and Steven M. Altig are reputable and respected Las Vegas domestic abuse defense attorneys. They have more than a decade of experience handling complex cases where it’s all about what someone said, or someone heard, and there’s no physical evidence of harm.

What is Verbal / Emotional Abuse?

The terms “verbal abuse” and “emotional abuse” are sometimes used interchangeably, but they have slightly different meanings. Verbal abuse is a kind of emotional abuse, but not all emotional abuse is verbal. For example, looking at someone or acting in a manner that scares him or her is a form of emotional abuse, but it may not actually be verbal.

Either verbal abuse or emotional abuse constitutes the crime of domestic violence in Nevada, which is defined as the use of power, coercion and/or violence to control another. The Nevada Attorney General’s Office says verbal or emotional abuse can be charged as domestic violence if it is directed at a:

• Husband, wife, girlfriend or boyfriend (spousal abuse)
• Child by a parent, grandparent, stepparent, or significant other of a parent (child abuse)
• Senior citizen by their children, grandchildren or others living with or caring for the victim (elderly abuse).

It is important to understand that police who respond to a call about domestic violence almost always make an arrest. Once a charge has been filed, there’s no withdrawing the charges later. The local prosecutor has sole discretion over whether charges go forward, and he or she can force the accuser to testify.

Domestic violence, which is likely charged as battery (assault), is punishable by jail time, fines, community service and counseling (at your expense) on even a first conviction.

There are numerous examples of actions that could prompt a charge of domestic violence based on verbal or emotional abuse that causes someone to fear for his or her safety. They include:

• Humiliating a person
• Making threats of bodily harm
• Making threats against yourself such as “I’d kill myself if you ever …”
• Blaming a person for your threatening or harmful actions. 

You Could Be Sued for Domestic Verbal Abuse

A verbal abuse charge is more likely to stick if the alleged victim can show that the abuse was ongoing. The alleged perpetrator regularly made threats or humiliated her or him over a long period of time. This indicates intention on the part of the alleged abuser. 

The alleged victim can also make their case stronger if they can show that they were in fact abused – as opposed to simply annoyed or angered. There’s no rule or requirement, but someone who can show that they have sought counseling as a means of coping with the alleged abuse or that they tried to injure themselves as a means of escape is demonstrating harm from another’s actions.

A person who has truly suffered from verbal abuse might pursue a personal injury civil claim for compensation, repayment for the cost of counseling, for example, plus compensation for their pain and suffering. This would be separate from criminal charges, but if you were the subject of such a lawsuit, a domestic violence conviction would weigh against you. The testimony of a domestic violence counselor who had worked with the lawsuit plaintiff would likely be damaging, as well.

How Can a Domestic Battery Attorney in Las Vegas Help Me?

Domestic battery does not have to include physical harm for you to be convicted of the charge. The good news if you have been charged with domestic violence based on verbal or emotional abuse is that the prosecutor must prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt to obtain a conviction. As in other criminal charges, you have a right to an attorney to defend you against the charge.

In many verbal abuse cases, there is very little evidence to prove a domestic battery charge. Many cases come down to “he said, she said.” 

As your defense attorneys, the seasoned defense attorneys at Adras & Altig can get your side of the story and gather any other evidence available to rebut the prosecution’s charges and build a defense for you.

One fight or even the occasional fight that includes a few insults is not necessarily verbal abuse. Being able to show that the charge is based on a one-time incident, or that there is no pattern or evidence of injury, is potentially a strong defense.

Being able to demonstrate, through witness affidavits or testimony, that the plaintiff commonly uses the same or similar language toward you may nullify the idea that he or she was truly harmed or felt abused.

Talk to a Las Vegas Domestic Violence Defense Attorney

The defense attorneys at Adras & Altig are here to help, not judge, people facing criminal charges of domestic violence. Regardless of what led to a charge of domestic violence against you, prosecutors have social and political pressure to take an aggressive stance against people charged with domestic violence. You will need a strong defense. It is crucial that you speak with an experienced Las Vegas domestic battery attorney as soon as possible to ensure your rights are protected.

The seasoned Las Vegas domestic violence attorneys of Adras & Altig will work diligently to obtain the best possible outcome for you. Schedule a free consultation with our law office today to get started on your verbal abuse domestic violence charges defense.

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Las Vegas Attorneys Adras & Altig Defend Clients Facing Domestic Battery Charges

The attorneys at Adras & Altig understand that domestic situations can get complicated and that some people are wrongly charged with domestic battery as a result. If you have been charged with domestic battery in Las Vegas, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney to protect your legal rights.

Attorneys Steven Altig and Paul Adras recognize that facing a domestic battery charge can be extremely stressful, particularly for individuals who try to navigate the Nevada criminal justice system on their own.

Las Vegas police take reports of domestic violence extremely seriously, and domestic battery is one of the most frequently filed charges. Unfortunately, an argument or disagreement can get out of hand, especially if alcohol is involved, and lead to a domestic assault charge when it is not warranted. An angry spouse or partner may exaggerate what occurred out of spite to prompt an arrest.

A conviction of domestic battery can brand you with a criminal record and make it more difficult to get employment or obtain credit in the future. In particular, if you hold a professional license, a domestic battery charge can jeopardize your career and livelihood.

A domestic battery case can be charged as either a felony or a misdemeanor in Nevada. Prosecutors may seek jail time and a heavy fine even for a first offense. Whether the allegations are true or false, you need a highly experienced Las Vegas criminal defense attorney on your side to defend you to the fullest extent of the law.

The potential penalties for a domestic battery conviction in Las Vegas depend on your record and whether you have prior convictions. If you have no convictions for domestic battery in the past seven years, the maximum penalties that you face are at least two days and up to six months in jail. But you may be eligible for alternative resolutions such as required counseling.

The Las Vegas defense attorneys at Adras & Altig are reputable and respected and have more than a decade of experience standing up for clients facing criminal charges in Clark County courts.

The criminal defense lawyers at Adras & Altig have successfully handled numerous cases including:

• Assault and aggravated assault
• Simple battery
• Aggravated battery
• Sexual assault and battery
• Stalking and aggravated stalking
• DUI’s as well as battery domestic violence

Attorneys Steven Altig and Paul Adras work as a team to investigate each case and determine what really happened. The criminal defense attorneys work closely with each client to build a strong defense and make sure the client’s voice is heard. In certain situations, the police will only listen to one side of the story. But the attorneys at Adras & Altig will be here to speak for you and defend you to the full extent of the law.

If you are facing a domestic battery or domestic assault charge, contact an experienced Las Vegas defense attorney for a free consultation. Call (702) 385-7227 for an immediate consultation to discuss the legal services that Adras & Altig can provide you in response to Las Vegas domestic battery charges.

 

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Las Vegas DUI Charges

Adras & Altig Represents Clients Facing DUI Charges in Las Vegas

 Getting a DUI is a serious legal matter in Las Vegas. The criminal defense attorneys at Adras & Altig protect the rights of clients who are facing charges of driving under the influence in Las Vegas and throughout Nevada.

The DUI defense attorneys at Adras & Altig have successfully handled numerous Las Vegas DUI charges over the years. Being charged with DUI is not the same as being convicted, and the prosecution has the burden of proof.

The respected legal team uses its experience and knowledge of Nevada criminal law to seek a favorable outcome for each client.

Las Vegas Criminal Defense Team, Adras & Altig

When you choose Adras & Altig to represent you, you will work directly with our firm’s dedicated partners, Steven Altig and Paul Adras, who are respected Las Vegas defense attorneys. Our attorneys will collaborate with you as we build your legal defense. We are committed to good client communication and will be accessible to answer your questions.

What is Considered Legal Intoxicated in Las Vegas?

In the state of Nevada, you can be convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) for multiple reasons. Unfortunately, a conviction can mean the loss of your driver’s license, fines, community service and even the loss of your freedom.

The Las Vegas DUI attorneys understand that drivers are sometimes arrested on DUI charges before the full facts are known. We work to build a strong defense based on a thorough investigation of the facts.

We can move quickly to request an administrative hearing on your behalf to stop the automatic suspension of your driver’s license. Otherwise, the DMV can suspend an individual’s driver’s license for 90 days, even before a trial or guilty verdict.

Instead, the Las Vegas DUI attorneys will aim to extend the probationary period as a suggestion, for instance, together with the imposition of a fine or community service. They will do this by presenting to the court an acceptable alternative to a jail sentence, stressing the benefits to society of such an option.

Contact the Experienced DUI Lawyers, Adras & Altig

Adras & Altig handles DUI cases, but limit the number accepted per week so that they can work each case thoroughly and give each client the full attention that clients deserve.

The Las Vegas DUI attorneys at Adras & Altig ensure their main focus is to get the best results possible for clients charged with a DUI in Las Vegas.

Adras & Altig, Attorneys at Law, offers a free consultation to discuss your DUI charge.

You can reach Adras & Altig, Attorneys at Law at the office at (702) 385-7227.

Directions:

 

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What Happens if I Don’t Pay a Casino Marker?

Pay Your Casino Markers or Expect to Go to Jail

Don’t think for a minute that you can run out on a Las Vegas casino marker. The casino will come after you. You could face time in prison and thousands of dollars in fines if convicted of criminal charges involving not repaying a casino marker.

Most gamblers who default on casino markers do so unintentionally. They just get overextended and get in over their heads. We understand how that can happen, and we can help. If you have defaulted on a casino marker or are about to default, contact Adras & Altig Las Vegas casino marker defense lawyers. We can work to negotiate a payment plan and try to keep you out of jail.

What is a Casino Gambling Marker? 

Casinos issue markers so guests can gamble without handling large amounts of cash. A casino marker, sometimes called a “gambling marker,” works like an interest-free line of credit but is more comparable to a short-term loan. The actual marker is a counter check the gambler can use to draw on the line of credit.

To obtain a casino marker, the gambler must initially complete an application, which allows the casino to check the applicant’s bank accounts to confirm their ability to pay the debt incurred. Once approved, the casino issues a marker for the amount requested, which the gambler may redeem in chips and/or cash. A pit boss at a gaming table or a casino host can approve additional markers, increasing the amount of credit extended to a gambler.

When payment is due, typically after 30 days, the casino submits the marker or markers to the bank, like a check. If a marker is returned due to insufficient funds — or “bounces” — that, of course, is a problem.

Under Nevada law (NRS 205.130 and NRS 205.132), if the casino goes through the proper steps to collect on a marker, the failure to pay is presumed to be an intent to defraud. A conviction of intent to defraud in Nevada carries a sentence of at least a year in jail. Passing a bad check falls under the same statutes.

What Happens if I Don’t Pay a Casino Marker?

Casinos issue markers to encourage patrons to gamble. The casino’s primary concern is collecting the money the establishment is owed. The casino will give you the opportunity to pay your gambling debt before taking legal steps that can lead to you being charged with a crime.

Thirty days after a casino marker is issued and remains unpaid:

• The casino will attempt to contact you. If a casino marker is not paid upon submission to the bank, the casino will issue a “notice of refusal of payment.” This is a certified letter saying the bank did not pay the marker. By law, that gives you 10 days to pay the debt or respond otherwise.

When Do I need a Casino Marker Attorney?

At this point, you can help yourself by contacting a Las Vegas casino marker attorney. A knowledgeable criminal defense attorney can protect your rights and work to find a resolution to your unpaid gambling debt. In some cases, a casino will work with you to establish a payment plan, though they are not required to do so.

 

• The District Attorney will attempt to contact you. Ten days after the notice of failure to pay, if the casino has not heard from you, it will file a complaint with the Clark County District Attorney’s office. The DA’s office will send you a certified letter and give you 10 days to respond and pay the marker. You will also be required to pay the DA’s office’s processing costs and fees, which will be about 10 percent of the marker’s value.

How Long Do I have before I have to Pay the Casino Marker?

After 10 days, if you have not paid the debt and fees, the DA will file a criminal complaint against you and ask the Court to issue a warrant for your arrest.

• You will be arrested, jailed and charged. If you reside in Las Vegas, Clark County or Nevada, you can expect to be arrested within days. If you live elsewhere, you can expect to be arrested eventually. A police officer who has stopped you in traffic may see the outstanding warrant and arrest you. Often, travelers are stopped and arrested at a border crossing or at an airport Customs desk.

Upon arrest, you will be extradited to Clark County and prosecuted. Extradition is a court procedure that is not always immediate. You could be held for up to 30 days before being taken to Las Vegas.

Not Paying a Casino Marker is a Criminal Offense

Casinos and tourism are the economic engines of Las Vegas and Clark County. The Nevada criminal justice system takes seriously the payment of gambling debts. You will be prosecuted if you are arrested for not paying a casino marker. In addition to resolving the criminal charges, you will still be required to repay your debt to the casino, plus court costs.

If I don’t Pay the Casino Marker, Will I get a Felony?

Failure to pay a casino marker is typically a felony in Nevada requiring prison time upon conviction. Punishment is according to the value of the marker, which is usually thousands of dollars. Under the law, failure to pay a casino marker for $250 or more is a category D felony punishable by 1 to 4 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.

Failure to pay a casino marker for less than $250 is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $10,000. Most cases involving unpaid Las Vegas casinos involve sums that far exceed $250.

A third offense of failing to pay a casino marker, regardless of value, is also a category D felony.

Contact Us to Fight Bad Casino Marker Penalties

Although Clark County prosecutors will absolutely seek a guilty verdict in a casino marker case, as we said above, the casino is more interested in being paid than it is in putting someone in jail. A knowledgeable Las Vegas casino marker defense attorney from Adras & Altig can develop a plan to help you resolve the issue.

In addition to fully understanding how Nevada law is applied, Paul Adras and Steve Altig, who handle each case taken by the firm, have the reputations and relationships in Clark County courts necessary to represent our clients effectively. We can work to negotiate a payment plan so that you avoid prosecution or, if the evidence supports it, work to have charges dismissed.

The sooner we get involved with your case, the more opportunity we have to help. If you know you cannot pay an outstanding casino marker in Las Vegas, please contact us today.

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Study Says Low THC Levels Don’t Cause Car Accidents

New research indicates that Nevada’s drugged driving laws may penalize drivers for marijuana use that does not have an adverse effect on driving ability.

The study from the University of British Columbia (UBC) suggests that THC levels less than 5 nanograms/ml of blood do not lead to an increased risk of causing car crashes in most drivers. Nevada’s DUI law (NRS 484C.110) holds that a driver is automatically guilty of impaired driving if found to have 2 nanograms/ml of marijuana (Delta-9-THC) or 5 nanograms/ml of marijuana metabolite (11-hydroxy-THC, i.e., metabolized THC) in their blood or urine.

The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Addiction in May and reported by the Vancouver Sun and other mainstream publications in June.

“At blood levels of less than 5 nanograms/ml, THC does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of crashing,” Dr. Jeffrey Brubacher, associate professor in the department of emergency medicine at UBC and principal investigator for the five-year study, told Medical Xpress. “That’s significant because the new impaired driving laws do include penalties for drivers with THC levels between 2 and 5 nanograms/ml, suggesting that the laws may be too strict.”

Brubacher was speaking of Canada’s drugged driving laws, in which per se THC levels for guilt match Nevada’s.

So-called “per se” laws make it illegal to drive with amounts of drugs in the body that exceed set limits. Five U.S. states have specific per se limits for THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the active ingredient in marijuana, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Brubacher and his research team point out that per se laws are particularly unfair to habitual marijuana users, because illegal THC levels remain in the body long after the impairment has worn off.

After smoking a joint, the user’s THC level is about 100 nanograms/ml for several minutes but drops very quickly to less than 2 nanograms/ml in four hours, Brubacher said. THC also accumulates in body fat and is slowly released into the blood of a user who smokes marijuana every day.

“These people can walk around with low amounts of THC for days or weeks after they last use marijuana, so it gets complicated. … They may not be impaired,” Brubacher said. “A medical marijuana user, for example, would never be allowed to drive.”

Cannabis became legal for recreational use in Canada in October 2018 and has been legal for medical use since 2001. In the U.S., 11 states including Nevada and Washington, D.C., allow recreational marijuana use. Some states allow limited use of medical marijuana under certain circumstances.

Nevada has legalized recreational marijuana use in private homes.

How the THC Level and Impaired Driving Study Was Done

For the study, researchers analyzed blood samples from 3,005 drivers who were treated at seven trauma centers in British Columbia between January 2010 and July 2016.

Accident reports were available for 2,318 of those drivers, and 1,178 were deemed responsible for the crashes and included in the final analysis.

When blood work had been done, researchers analyzed the blood for toxicology, measuring THC levels and for alcohol and 87 other substances including cocaine, methamphetamines and a list of medications.

“What we found is interesting, and that was at these lower (THC) levels there really was no increased risk of a crash,” Brubacher said.

He also said that while there may be an increased risk of causing crashes with THC levels greater than 5 nanograms/ml, only 20 of the 1,825 samples researchers tested had THC levels greater than that amount. The study report as published in Addiction concluded that there was “a statistically non‐significant increased risk of crash responsibility” in drivers with THC levels greater than 5 nanograms/ml.

How Much Marijuana Use is 5 Nanograms of THC?

If you use marijuana and plan to drive, you need to ask yourself whether you have consumed enough to register 2 nanograms/ml of fresh THC or 5 nanograms/ml of metabolized THC should you be pulled over by Las Vegas police and tested. 

The answer to the question as to how much marijuana do you have to smoke to have 5 nanograms/ml of blood or urine is pretty much unanswerable.

A reporter for Boulder Weekly in Colorado tried to find out and decided there was no way to say for sure because:

• THC metabolizes differently than alcohol, which we know how to measure accurately.
• THC concentrations are vastly different for each particular strain of marijuana, so the user’s height or weight won’t make much difference, as they do with alcohol.
• The period of highest concentration of THC in the bloodstream comes immediately after consumption, but the highest level of impairment comes 20-40 minutes after smoking, and even later with edibles. 
• Because THC blood levels drop precipitously, blood tests done after you have been pulled over, questioned, arrested and taken downtown won’t remotely indicate blood-level THC at the time you were stopped.

A July 2017 Report to Congress about Marijuana-Impaired Driving by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reached many of the same conclusions. It stated:

“THC level in blood (or oral fluid) does not appear to be an accurate and reliable predictor of impairment from THC. Also, when low levels of THC are found in the blood, the presence of THC is not a reliable indicator of recent marijuana use.”

Contact A Nevada Defense Attorney About Marijuana-Impaired Driving Charges

If you have been charged with DUI or DUID (driving under the influence of drugs) in Nevada based on THC levels found in a blood or urine test, you should contact a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. Given the research discussed above, it’s reasonable to question whether you were, in fact, driving while high or impaired. There’s a possibility that a lawyer can get charges dropped or can obtain a not guilty verdict at trial.

In Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, the reputable and respected criminal defense lawyers of Adras & Altig, Attorneys at Law, can provide you with a strong legal defense. We have more than a decade of experience successfully handling DUI and DUID cases in Clark County courts and have the reputation and respect to ensure you get a fair hearing. Contact us today for legal assistance.

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