Legal Blog

Its bad enough for a motorist to be put in handcuffs after being charged with excessive speed, a criminal offense that carries up to 90 days in prison and a suspension of one’s license.  However, what more and more motorists are seeing besides the citation to appear in a Vermont court, is that they are…

Lawmakers recently passed a new law allowing young criminal offenders a pathway for faster relief to get out from under the long term consequences of certain criminal convictions.  During the 2015 legislative session a bill was passed that now allows those convicted of a crime while 25 years old or younger to petition the Court…

With the passage of Act 76 in the State of Vermont, decriminalizing possession of under 1 ounce of marijuana, questions have been raised as to whether or not the discovery of such an amount can still give a basis for law enforcement to search a motor vehicle.  Without owner consent, Vermont law enforcement need to meet…

Vermont lawmakers continue to struggle with finding the correct balance in prosecuting motorists who may be under the influence of marijuana or other drugs while operating a motor vehicle.  Vermont law enforcement has claimed that there is a saliva test that can be implemented in order to prove that a motorist has marijuana in their system.…

DRE stands for drug recognition expert.  It is an attempt by Vermont law enforcement to combat the growing concern of individuals driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of marijuana or other drugs, which is otherwise known as Driving While High (DWH).  Here is how it works. A motorist will get pulled over by…

The fine and the points associated with a traffic ticket only tell a small part of the total monetary story.  The financial consequences of a Vermont moving violation can encompass much more then the fine itself.  One of the biggest concerns for motorists is what type of rate increase they should expect from their auto…

There is a big difference between daytime speeding and nighttime speeding.  During the day officer’s will in many instances give a little more leeway to drivers who are exceeding the speed limit.  However, as the sun goes down, drivers need to beware that any speed over the speed limit may be the basis for a…

As the seasons change and the snow starts to fall, more driver will be venturing outside into slippery driving conditions.  In Vermont, with its sudden elevation changes and narrow roads, the risk of being involved in an accident drastically increases when snow and ice start to hit the roadway.  Thus, in these unfortunate events when…

Proper posting of speed limit signs is a predicate requirement to any speeding violation.  Vermont roads are known to be windy and, at times, closely closed in by foliage.  As a result, speed limit signs at times can be difficult if not impossible to view. If charged with a speeding violation, the first step in…

In certain cases, with specific factors an argument may be made that a driver facing a moving violation should be placed on Vermont traffic ticket probation to allow them to prove to the court and the officer that the error they made was not indicative of their overall driving character.  Here is how it works:…