Carroll County DUI Checkpoint

Carroll County DUI checkpoint in effect this weekend.  The Carroll County Times reported this week that “several law enforcement agencies will conduct a sobriety checkpoint in an undisclosed location this weekend, starting Aug. 8, in effort to reduce the number of alcohol-impaired drivers on the roads.”

The following Carroll County law enforcement agencies will be involved: Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police, Westminster Police Department, Hampstead Police Department, Sykesville Police Department and Taneytown Police Department.

While the location of the checkpoints are not being released, according to law enforcement the checkpoints “will be clearly marked with signs, lights and uniformed officers.”

A Carroll County DUI checkpoint is part of the Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign.  According to the campaign’s website, the checkpoints are “an intensive law enforcement mobilization aimed at getting impaired drivers off our roads.”  The campaign is funded in part by a grant from the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office.

Is a Carroll County DUI Checkpoint Legal?

A Carroll County DUI checkpoint is an exception to the rule that traffic stops are permitted only based upon a reasonable articulable suspicion that a traffic violation has been committed.  Typically, a Maryland DUI starts with a police officer observing a traffic violation, such as speeding, improper lane change, etc.  However, DUI checkpoints are random stops of vehicles without any suspicion that a traffic violation has occurred.  In Maryland, the courts have ruled these baseless stops are constitutional because the State’s interest in detecting and deterring drunk driving outweighs the minimal intrusion on a person’s liberties.

Keep in mind, if you don’t want to stop at the checkpoint, then you can make a legal U-turn and follow a different route!

Schedule a Free Carroll County DUI Checkpoint Consultation

If you are charged with a DUI this weekend as a result of a Westminster, Hampstead, Sykesville or Taneytown drinking and driving checkpoint, then contact Albers & Associates to speak with an experienced Carroll County DUI Attorney.

Maryland Attorney Ross W. Albers is a former Baltimore City prosecutor.  Albers & Associates is located in Carroll County and handles the following matters throughout Maryland: criminal defense, driving under the influence defense, juvenile defense, peace orders, and personal injury.