Christianburg Criminal Defense Law Blog

Almost everyone understands the law about alcohol and driving in Virginia. Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking can put other people and yourself at risk for serious, even fatal crashes. Alcohol can lead to poor decision making, increased response time and even issues with staying in your lane.

To reduce the potential social consequences posed by intoxicated driving, Virginia has strict laws in place to penalize those who drive while impaired.

Two Virginia residents are behind bars right now after a routine traffic stop led to the discovery of a small amount of drugs.

An officer noticed a "suspicious" car near the exit on a road. The officer asked if he could search the vehicle and the couple agreed.

The 2017 fall college semester is in full swing -- which means that it won't be long before the weekend parties start.

Nobody is surprised that college students go to parties -- it happens on campuses everywhere in the country. However, there's a right way and a wrong way to party. If you want to blow off a little stress this weekend, follow these nine tips:

1. Go with friends -- there's safety in numbers. This is particularly important if you're going to a party someplace that isn't familiar.
2. Don't flash your valuables or cash. You don't need to advertise your wealth at a party. That's a great way to get followed home and robbed.
3. Designate a lookout. Someone needs to stay sober in case trouble starts. That person's job is to get everybody in your group out the door at the first sign of a fight or other problems.
4. Take preventive measures. There's a difference between partying a little and getting drunk. Everyone in your group should eat before they go, drink about one drink per hour (at most) and cut themselves off when they feel tipsy.
5. Ditch the party if drugs start being passed around. You're in the wrong place. If you value your future and don't want to be saddled with a drug conviction for life, get your friends and go find somewhere else to hang out.
6. Don't leave a friend behind. Make a pact ahead of time that everyone comes home together. If someone happens to meet another student he or she finds interesting, your friend can exchange phone numbers with the other person. Don't ever leave an inebriated friend behind with a stranger!
7. Virginia takes its drunk and disorderly chargers quite seriously, so consider sharing the fare for Uber or Lyft to get home.
8. If you must walk home, behave yourselves. You can't be given a drunk and disorderly charge just for smelling like you've been drinking. However, if your group is behaving in a drunken manner, that's enough for a charge.
9. Have the name and number of an attorney who handles drunk and disorderly conduct charges in your cellphones. If you do encounter the police, politely ask to speak with your attorney before you speak with the officers.

College is a time of learning, personal growth and experimentation. Unfortunately for some people, those experiments can end up causing a lot of problems or even putting an end to their college education. Whether you're starting out your first year at Virginia Tech or returning after a restful summer break to continue your college education, you need to remember that actions have consequences that could impact your future.

It can be hard to maintain good grades while working a job, but it can also be difficult to have a social life when you're broke. Some students look for ways other than a part-time job to fund their extracurricular activities. For those who have access to popular stimulant medications, like Adderal, Ritalin, Methylin, Concerta, Metadate, Dexedrine or Focalin, selling those drugs to other students may seem like a great way to make some fast cash. In reality, it's an easy way to derail your education and your future.