Bensalem DUI Defense
Bensalem, Pennsylvania, is home to many local restaurants and other landmarks, including Parx Casino, Philadelphia Race Track, Michael’s Restaurant and Diner, and Saint Katherine Drexel Mission Center and Shrine. Bensalem, PA, has a diverse population of over 63,000 residents making it the highest populated municipality in Bucks County Pennsylvania.
Unfortunately, Bensalem, PA, accounts for one of the highest numbers of driving under the influence arrests in Bucks County, PA, due to the large number of residents. Therefore, it is critical to hire an experienced Bensalem DUI attorney if you facing DUI charges.
Contact a Bensalem DUI Lawyer
I have over a decade of experience providing skilled representation to individuals charged with DUI in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. I can explain all available DUI defenses and if applicable, sentencing alternatives such as Bucks County House Arrest (now referred to as home confinement with electronic monitoring). Contact me at (215) 752-5282 for a free initial phone consultation or fill out the confidential contact form for an immediate response.
DUI Enforcement In Bensalem Pennsylvania
The Bensalem Police Department address is 2400 Byberry Road, Bensalem, PA 19020. The police department is located directly across the street from the Magisterial District Court of Michael W. Gallagher. The Bensalem Police Department employs approximately 69 patrol officers who aggressively enforce Pennsylvania’s DUI laws throughout the municipality.
The Bensalem Police Force will make many drunk driving arrests on Street Road (Route 132), Route 1, and Bristol Pike. In contrast, the Pennsylvania State Police primarily make DUI stops within Bensalem, PA on the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-276) and Interstate 1-95.
The Most Common DUI Charges in Bensalem PA
- Driving under the influence of alcohol
- Driving under the influence of a controlled substance (marijuana)
- Driving under the influence of alcohol and a controlled substance
How Will I Receive Notice of My Bensalem DUI Charges?
In most cases involving misdemeanor DUI charges, you will receive a summons to appear in court in the mail with a list of your DUI charges, a fingerprint order, and a hearing notice listing the date and time of your DUI preliminary hearing. The Bensalem District Court staff will send the DUI summons to you by certified mail and by regular mail. You should receive the criminal complaint, preliminary hearing notice, and fingerprint order in the mail within 3 weeks of your DUI arrest.
What is a DUI Preliminary Hearing?
The DUI Preliminary hearing is typically the first hearing in the case. At the preliminary hearing, the prosecutor must present sufficient evidence to convince the magisterial district judge to hold over the DUI charges to the next stage of the case. The Bensalem DUI case will proceed to the Bucks County Justice Center in Doylestown, PA if the district attorney can establish probable cause to establish all of the elements of the DUI charges at the preliminary hearing. I am familiar with the most effective legal strategies to employ at a DUI preliminary hearing in the Bensalem courts.
What is a DUI Fingerprint Order?
Once DUI charges are filed, you will receive a document referred to as fingerprint order. A DUI fingerprint order is a document you receive in the mail requiring you to report for fingerprinting and processing at the police department within 30 days. You will receive the fingerprint order with the criminal complaint and preliminary hearing notice.
How to Make an Appointment for Fingerprinting
You can schedule an appointment to complete the DUI processing at the Bensalem Police Department located in the Bensalem Township Municipal Building at 2400 Byberry Road, Bensalem, PA 19020. The non-emergency phone number for the Bensalem Police is (215) 633-3719. Bring a copy of the fingerprint order with you when you appear for processing at the police department. Fingerprinting and processing takes approximately 20 minutes. It is important to contact my office at (215) 752-5282 once you receive your DUI charges in the mail.
Where Will My Bensalem DUI Preliminary Hearing Be Held?
The local and state police file DUI cases in two magisterial district courts in Bensalem, PA. The Bensalem District Court staff will typically schedule your preliminary hearing approximately 4 weeks after the filing of the charges. You can find the district court’s location and contact information in the upper left-hand corner of the criminal complaint you receive in the mail.
| Contact Info | Contact Info |
|---|---|
| Magisterial District Judge Michael W. Gallagher Mag. Dist. No. 07-1-01 2404 Byberry Road Bensalem, PA 19020 (215) 638-1040 [email protected] |
Magisterial District Judge Joseph P. Falcone Mag. Dist. No. 07-1-12 3237 Bristol Road Suite 100-101 Bensalem, PA 19020 (215) 741-3501 [email protected] |
Bensalem District Court No. 07-1-01
Bensalem District Court No. 07-1-12
Why is Body-Cam Evidence Important in My DUI Case?
The Bensalem Township Police and the Pennsylvania State Police employ body-camera and dash-camera recordings of DUI traffic stops and DUI arrests in Bensalem, PA. Body-cam and dash-cam recordings, when activated, will capture the audio and video of a DUI car stop as well as all of the circumstances leading up to the DUI arrest.
Preserving Body Cam Evidence In a DUI Case
A skilled DUI attorney should obtain the audio and video recordings from the DUI investigation as early as possible in the case. I will often send a preservation letter to the Bensalem Police Department Chief of Police or the Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner to ensure that the police do not destroy the recordings before the DUI trial.
Body-cam and dash-cam audio and video of the DUI investigation will provide a DUI lawyer with a first-hand view of the suspect’s pre-arrest driving behavior, conduct after the car stop, physical appearance, and all other interactions between the police officer and the driver. In the past, the police would rely solely on police reports and their memory to justify a DUI traffic stop and arrest. Fortunately, a skillful DUI lawyer can often use body-cam and dash-cam evidence to demonstrate that a DUI stop and arrest was illegal.
Why I can Help You With Your Bensalem DUI Case
I have handled over DUI cases during my career as a criminal defense lawyer. Most importantly, I successfully resolved a majority of those cases in the Bensalem, PA local courts. My office is in the lower part of Bucks County near both Bensalem District Courts. Also, I am highly familiar with the Bensalem Township Police Officers and the Pennsylvania State Troopers who patrol Bensalem PA on a daily basis. I understand the Bensalem District Court procedures for the preliminary hearing, bail, and plea negotiations in a DUI case.
Analyzing All of the DUI Evidence
Once retained, I will examine every aspect of the DUI stop, arrest, and chemical testing procedures to develop all possible defenses in your case. The Bensalem Township Police file an extraordinary large number of controlled substance marijuana driving under the influence charges. The requirements for establishing probable cause to arrest an individual for a marijuana DUI are much different than those for an alcohol-related DUI case.
Pennsylvania’s Zero Tolerance Cannabis DUI Law
Pennsylvania is among many states that have enacted a zero-tolerance marijuana DUI law. Under current Pennsylvania law, a person can be charged with driving under the influence of marijuana if they operate a motor vehicle with any amount of a Schedule I (cannabis, THC) controlled substance or its metabolite in their system within 2 hours of driving.
What Are THC Metabolites in a Marijuana DUI?
THC is the active chemical substance in marijuana. However, a person’s body quickly metabolizes (breaks down, absorbs) the THC parent drug into several different metabolites. Unfortunately, THC metabolites remain in an individual’s body much longer than the parent THC drug. This means that you may face a marijuana DUI charge even if you smoked the marijuana many hours before you were arrested.
Pennsylvania’s zero-tolerance DUI law does require that the police prove that the driver operated the vehicle while impaired frim marijuana, only that the driver had the parent drug or metabolite of marijuana in their system within 2 hours of driving.
Fighting a Marijuana DUI in Bensalem
The police use specific procedures for assessing whether a driver is under the influence of marijuana. In many instances, the police will fail to follow the proper field sobriety testing protocols before concluding that a person is driving under the influence of marijuana. The police often neglect to follow appropriate procedures in collecting, transporting, and testing blood evidence in marijuana DUI cases. As an experienced Bensalem PA marijuana DUI attorney, I have gotten many marijuana DUI charges dismissed in the Bensalem District Courts and the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas under these circumstances.
Start With a Strong DUI Defense
Have you or a loved one been charged with DUI in Bensalem, PA? Phone lines are open 24 hours a day at (215) 752-5282. Contact me for a free initial phone consultation or fill out the confidential contact form for an immediate response.
