If you have been arrested for driving under the influence (“DUI”) in Maryland, it is very likely that you will face several charges in addition to those associated with driving under the influence. Maryland prosecuting attorneys will charge as many crimes as possible for at least two reasons. First, by charging as many crimes as the facts will support, the chances of a guilty verdict are increased. Basically, many charges give the jury many options. A jury might be doubtful of the most serious charges and then compromise by issuing a guilty verdict for lesser offenses.

Second, Maryland prosecutors will charge as many crimes as the facts will support to have “bargaining chips” for any plea bargain negotiations. Essentially, the prosecutors will say: “We’ll drop these three charges if your client pleads guilty to this one charge.”

Because of this, if you have been arrested for DUI, you will need top-tier Maryland criminal defense lawyers. Call us here at the Law Office of Robert Castro at (301) 870-1200 or use our contact page. If you are searching for “Maryland DUI lawyers” or “Maryland DUI lawyers,” we are the ones to call. We have offices in Waldorf, Maryland, and are available 24/7. We offer DUI criminal defense services for people in St. Mary’s County, Calvert County, Charles County and other communities in Southern Maryland.

So, what other charges might a DUI defendant face? The recently reported case of  Palmer v. State, 342 A. 3d 484 (Md: Appellate Court 2025), provides us with an example. That case involved a single-car accident where the driver apparently skidded off the pavement into a wet, grassy ditch. The factual reporting is not totally clear, but a road sign might have been knocked down in the accident. The police officers who arrived on the scene arrested Mr. Palmer on allegations of DUI. According to the case report, Palmer was also charged with DWI. This is very common in DUI cases. DWI means driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It is deemed a separate, but lesser, offense than DUI. To convict for DWI, there need not be proof related to blood alcohol content. Rather, conviction can be had on proof of impairment, such as erratic driving. Again, it is common to charge both crimes because it gives the jury the option of convicting on the lesser charge.

In addition to the DUI and DWI charges, Palmer was charged with twelve (12) other crimes, including the following:

• Driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle on a highway without the required license or authorization
• Negligent driving
• Failure of an individual driving on a highway to display a license to a uniformed police officer on demand — this was charged because Palmer refused to show his license or other ID when asked
• Failure to control vehicle speed on a highway to avoid a collision
• Failure to obey designated lane directions

As can be seen, that is a lot of charges for a simple one-vehicle accident that involved no injuries, death, or significant damage to property.

Note that if there had been more than one vehicle, there might have been charges filed related to the other vehicle and any resulting injuries. Thus, instead of the charge of negligent driving, the charge might have been reckless driving. Likewise, if serious bodily injury or death had occurred, vehicular manslaughter might have been charged.

Contact Waldorf, Maryland, Criminal Defense Lawyer Robert Castro Today

This article has been provided by the Law Office of Robert Castro. For more information or questions, contact our office to speak to an experienced Maryland criminal defense lawyer at (301) 870-1200. We are Waldorf, MD, Criminal Defense lawyers. Our address is 11701 Central Avenue, Suite 200, Waldorf, MD 20601.