A person charged with driving under the influence (DUI) in Maryland may face serious penalties, including jail time, steep fines, and license suspension. However, a defendant may be able to have their Maryland DUI charge reduced to a case of reckless driving, which may mean less severe penalties. A conviction of reckless driving involving alcohol, also known as a “wet reckless” conviction, may come as a result of a plea bargain in which a person’s drunk driving charge is reduced. In the state of Maryland, there is no statutory provision on whether a wet reckless plea bargain will be accepted, but an attorney may be able to arrange such a plea bargain for the defendant.
Wet reckless is defined as the ground on which a person gets relief from serious punishment by pleading that his or her blood-alcohol level was just crossing the legal limit and no accident or damage was caused due to drunk driving. In addition, the person facing conviction has not been involved in any criminal case in the past. Though a lesser drunk driving charge can mean a person may not incur penalties as severe as a standard DUI charge, insurance companies may attempt to treat a wet reckless charge the same as driving under the influence.
Any Maryland resident facing drunk driving charges would be well-advised to seek the assistance of an experienced Maryland DUI defense lawyer with the law firm of Alpert Schreyer. The penalties a person may face for a DUI conviction can be severe, but with professional legal assistance, a drunk driving charge can be reduced or dismissed altogether. For a complimentary consultation on your case, please call (301) 708-0819 to speak with a member of our legal team.