2. Legal Articles
  3. Criminal
  4. Chapter 1: What is a DWI and DUI in Virginia?

REFINE BY AREAS

Search Legal Articles

Chapter 1: What is a DWI and DUI in Virginia?

by Michael Carl Tillotson on Oct. 09, 2017

Criminal 

Summary: Chapter 1: What is a DWI and DUI in Virginia?

Difference between DWI and DUI?

    • What is the difference between DUI and DWI in Virginia?
    • Am I being charged with having a blood alcohol reading of 0.08, or being under the influence?
    • What is the definition of “impaired” in Virginia?
    • Is it better to get a DWI or a DUI?
    • What the law says

“Drive or operate”

    • How can I be convicted of driving under the influence when I wasn’t even driving?
    • My friend with a previous DWI got pulled over.  We switched places before the officer got to the car.  How can they charge me with DUI?
    • What the law says

“A motor vehicle”

    • Can I get a DWI for riding a bike drunk in Virginia?
    • Why did I get charged with a DUI? I was riding a moped.
    • What the law says.

(i) The 0.08 legal limit

    • I passed every test they gave me, but blew an 08.  How can they convict me of drunk driving when I wasn’t drunk?
    • I blew a .07, how could I be convicted of a DWI?  I thought the legal limit was .08?
    • So how will they try to convict me of a DWI at a 0.07 or 0.06?
    • Wrong on the web.
    • What the law says.

(ii)  Under the influence of alcohol

    • How can they convict me of drunk driving without a blood or breath test?
    • How do I know whether they are trying to convict me based upon my breath test or impairment?
    • What the law says.

(iii)  DUI-D:  Under the influence of drugs

    • What’s the difference between DUI & DWI?
    • How can they charge me with DUI for just taking my prescription medications?
    • Can I be convicted of DWI just for drinking a little alcohol and taking over the counter (OTC) medications?
    • What the law says.

Legal Articles Additional Disclaimer

Lawyer.com is not a law firm and does not offer legal advice. Content posted on Lawyer.com is the sole responsibility of the person from whom such content originated and is not reviewed or commented on by Lawyer.com. The application of law to any set of facts is a highly specialized skill, practiced by lawyers and often dependent on jurisdiction. Content on the site of a legal nature may or may not be accurate for a particular state or jurisdiction and may largely depend on specific circumstances surrounding individual cases, which may or may not be consistent with your circumstances or may no longer be up-to-date to the extent that laws have changed since posting. Legal articles therefore are for review as general research and for use in helping to gauge a lawyer's expertise on a matter. If you are seeking specific legal advice, Lawyer.com recommends that you contact a lawyer to review your specific issues. See Lawyer.com's full Terms of Use for more information.