Most people think of Operating Under The Influence (OUI) as “drunk driving”, having too much to drink and drive safely. That is part of the definition of OUI in Maine, but it is not the entire definition, nor is it fully accurate.
Maine law prohibits operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
Under the influence is defined, under Maine law, as: any combination of alcohol and/or drugs that cause impairment, to the slightest degree or any extent, of one’s mental or physical faculties.
Drugs are described as any natural or man-made product that can impair one’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle.
Many folks, erroneously, believe that the consumption of prescribed drugs allows them to drive with impunity. That is wrong. Even if you are consuming certain drugs/medications that cause impairment and/or can impair your ability to safely operate a motor vehicle, and you are taking those drugs/medications as prescribed, you are at risk of being charged with OUI.
There are many defenses to OUI/Drug charges if you have been charged with that criminal offense. If you wish to defend yourself from such an allegation, you must contact an OUI attorney who is well-versed in criminal defense, toxicology and chemistry to assist you through the process and to defend you throughout the administrative case as well as your criminal case.
I have been a certified Intoxylizer operator for almost twenty years. I have been qualified and testified as an expert witness on breath testing and Intoxilyzers in Federal Court. For the last 20 plus years, I have been teaching seminars to other defense attorneys, prosecutors, administrative hearings examiners, law enforcement officers and judges about OUI cases, including field sobriety testing, breath testing, blood testing, toxicology and chemistry. If you are serious about defending yourself against the accusations levied by the government against you, you owe it to yourself to call the best.
For a free consultation on an OUI, drug OUI or any other type of criminal case, contact Nichols & Tucker at 207-879-4000, check out our resumes and biographies at NicholsTucker.com . We are located at 1250 Forest Avenue, Portland, Maine 04103.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to provide general, not specific, information about Maine law. The publication of this article does not constitute an attorney-client relationship between the author(s) and the reader(s).
