Defense writings from Cardon, Stuart & Associates.
Utah DUI law, criminal defense strategy, and the procedural details that often decide cases. Written by Brady Stuart and updated as the law evolves.
How Much Does a DUI Cost in Utah?
A Utah DUI costs far more than the fine. Court fines and surcharges, license reinstatement, ignition interlock, higher insurance, screening, towing, and attorney fees — where the money really goes.
Read article → DUI & ImmigrationHow a Utah DUI Can Affect Your Immigration Status
For non-citizens, a Utah DUI can carry consequences far beyond court. How a DUI may affect visas, green cards, DACA, and naturalization — and why criminal and immigration defense must work together.
Read article → Know Your RightsCan Police Search Your Car During a Utah Traffic Stop?
Being pulled over does not automatically let police search your vehicle. The rules that apply in Utah — consent, probable cause, the automobile exception — and how an unlawful search can be challenged.
Read article → DUI PleasWhy a Utah DUI Usually Can't Be Pleaded in Abeyance
A plea in abeyance can keep many Utah charges off your record — but DUI is treated differently. Why DUIs generally can't be held in abeyance, and the reduction that often takes its place.
Read article → Theft ChargesShoplifting & Retail Theft Charges in Utah
A shoplifting accusation in Utah can be more serious than people expect — the value of the goods sets the charge level, and stores often send civil demand letters too. What the charges mean and how they're defended.
Read article → Boating DUIBoating Under the Influence (BUI) on Utah Lakes
Utah's impaired-operation law applies on the water too. What BUI means on lakes like Pineview and Willard Bay, the limits, how enforcement works, and the penalties you could face.
Read article → DUI LawCan You Get a DUI in a Parked Car? Utah's "Actual Physical Control" Rule
In Utah you can be charged with DUI without driving — if you're in "actual physical control" of a vehicle while impaired. What that means, the factors courts weigh, and why sleeping it off can still be a charge.
Read article → Felony DUIDUI Causing Injury in Utah: When a DUI Becomes a Felony
A Utah DUI that injures someone can be charged far more seriously than a standard DUI — and separately from automobile homicide. What elevates the charge, the potential exposure, and why these cases are fought hard.
Read article → DUI ConsequencesHow a Utah DUI Can Affect Your Job and Professional License
A Utah DUI reaches beyond court. Licensed professionals, CDL holders, and job seekers can face reporting duties, board review, and background-check fallout. What to expect and how to protect your livelihood.
Read article → DUI RecordHow Long Does a DUI Stay on Your Record in Utah?
A Utah DUI lives on more than one "record" — your criminal history, your driving record, and the DUI lookback period for enhanced penalties. What each one means, and when a DUI can be cleared.
Read article → DUI CheckpointsAre DUI Checkpoints Legal in Utah? What Drivers Should Know
Utah allows sobriety checkpoints, but only under strict rules: a written plan, neutral stopping criteria, and advance authorization. What makes a checkpoint legal and your rights if you're stopped.
Read article → DLD & LicenseGetting Your License Back After a Utah DUI Suspension
After a Utah DUI license suspension ends, reinstatement is not automatic. The steps that restore your driving privileges: the reinstatement fee, SR-22 insurance, and ignition interlock requirements.
Read article → After ArrestThe First 48 Hours After a DUI Arrest in Ogden
Arrested for DUI in Ogden or Weber County? The first 48 hours matter most. A practical step-by-step guide: the 10-day license deadline, what to document, and what not to say.
Read article → Know Your RightsUnderstanding Your Miranda Rights
Police don’t read Miranda at the moment of arrest — only before a custodial interrogation. What the warning protects, when it applies, and what suppression does to a case.
Read article → Know Your RightsYour Rights When Stopped by Police in Utah
Stay calm, ask whether you’re detained, invoke silence and counsel out loud, and decline searches. A defense attorney’s field guide to a police encounter.
Read article → Police StopsWhat to Say (and Not Say) When You’re Pulled Over
Keep answers short, never apologize into an admission, and don’t consent to a vehicle search — and know why that’s different from refusing a chemical test.
Read article → Criminal Defense“She Doesn’t Want to Press Charges.” Why Am I Still in Trouble?
In Utah the State controls a domestic violence case, not the alleged victim. Who actually decides on dismissal, and why a no-contact order stands until a judge lifts it.
Read article → DUI OutcomesWhat Happens If You Plead Guilty to a Utah DUI?
A guilty plea is a conviction, and most first-offense penalties are mandatory. The full fine, jail, interlock, and suspension breakdown — and why an Impaired Driving reduction matters.
Read article → DLD & LicenseThe 10-Day DLD Rule: The Deadline Most Utah DUI Defendants Miss
The single most important deadline after a Utah DUI arrest. Miss it and your license is suspended automatically — regardless of what happens with the criminal case.
Read article → Utah DUI LawUtah's 0.05% BAC Law: What Every Driver Needs to Know
Utah's nation-lowest BAC limit creates real defense opportunities — and real risk for drivers who think they're under the legal limit.
Read article → DUI DefenseHow Utah DUI Attorneys Challenge Breathalyzer Results
The Intoxilyzer 8000 is not infallible. Calibration records, partition ratio variation, and the Vialpando foundation requirement all create challenges.
Read article → DUI DefenseBlood Test DUI in Utah: Chain of Custody and Lab Errors
Blood tests aren't more reliable than breath tests — they just have different failure modes. Chain of custody, storage temperature, and lab analyst protocols matter.
Read article → DUI DefenseField Sobriety Tests in Utah: What the Officer Isn't Telling You
NHTSA-mandated procedures govern how every standardized field sobriety test must be administered. Officer deviations are leverage.
Read article → DLD & LicenseUtah's Implied Consent Law: Should You Refuse the Breath Test?
Refusal triggers an automatic 18-month license suspension under § 41-6a-520 — but it also denies prosecutors a key piece of evidence.
Read article → Defense StrategySuppression Motions: How Utah DUI Defense Wins Before Trial
A successful suppression motion can end a DUI case before it ever reaches a jury. Stop legality, Miranda violations, and search defects.
Read article → DUI ProcessWhat Actually Happens at a Utah DUI Arraignment
The first formal court appearance after a DUI charge. We typically waive your appearance and enter a not-guilty plea on your behalf.
Read article → DUI DefenseSecond DUI in Utah: How the Consequences Escalate
A second DUI within 10 years is still a Class B misdemeanor — but the mandatory minimums and license consequences are dramatically harsher.
Read article → DUI DefenseUtah Drug DUI: Marijuana, Prescription Meds, and Driving
Utah enforces zero-tolerance for THC metabolite — even days after legal use in another state. Prescription drug DUIs raise their own issues.
Read article → DUI OutcomesUtah's 'Impaired Driving' Plea: A Lesser Charge That Saves Your License
Utah Code § 41-6a-502.5 lets a DUI be reduced to 'impaired driving' — same maximum penalties, but different collateral consequences.
Read article → Criminal DefenseAssault on a Peace Officer in Utah: What the Charge Really Means
§ 76-5-102.4 is a third-degree felony — but the elements are narrower than prosecutors often assume. Intent matters.
Read article →Free case analysis.
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