The last thing you want on your way home after a long day is for the police to pull you over on suspicion of driving while drunk. The penalties you may face if the traffic stop leads to a DUI conviction include fines, loss of driving privileges and a possible jail...
Criminal Law
There is no per se limit for drugged driving charges in Montana
There are typically two different approaches for prosecutors to take when trying to convince the courts that someone committed an impaired driving offense. Sometimes, there is no chemical proof that someone violated state laws and the evidence will instead relate to...
How can Montana’s Good Samaritan overdose law protect you?
Montana certainly hasn’t been spared from the epidemic of opioid and other drug addiction that has swept the nation in recent decades. That’s why, in an effort to curb fatal overdoses, lawmakers have enacted a “Good Samaritan” law similar to those in many other...
Should you leave before defending yourself?
If you get involved in a physical altercation, you may claim that it was simply self-defense. The other person started the fight and you had no choice but to finish it. You didn’t want to put yourself in that position, but you reacted when the situation called for it....
Are Delta-9 hemp products legal for adults in Montana?
Yes, you can legally buy and use Delta-9 products derived from hemp as long as the dry weight of the Delta-9 in the edible or flower is .3% or less. Way before the 2018 federal Farm Bill was passed that relaxed the laws regarding the production, possession, use and...
You can get a “morning after” DUI
Even after a night of heavy drinking, many people don’t consider themselves unfit to drive the next morning. They may feel lousy and have a pounding headache as they drop the kids off at school and go to work. However, they can’t imagine that they’re still over the...
Can police seek drunk drivers with random stops?
Any level of statistical analysis will show the police that there are drunk drivers on the road. For instance, they could look at the total number of DUI accidents for the year. They may also consider the fact that most people have driven drunk before they get...
Why do drug courts work?
Drug courts may not have started in Montana, but they certainly made their way here. The first one opened up in 1996, and they have been so successful that there are now 31 of them in the state. The goal of these courts is to keep people out of prison. Those who have...
Tips for talking to the police during a traffic stop
It can certainly be nerve-racking to be pulled over by the police. You may not have any idea what they believe you did wrong or why they initiated the traffic stop. And you certainly want to avoid doing anything that would incriminate yourself or make the situation...
3 myths about avoiding DUI charges
Many people talk about the law without really knowing what they’re talking about. Often, these stories fall down the grapevine and facts are tangled and distorted (if the stories were ever true to begin with) eventually creating myths that people live by. Many myths...