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LEGAL
TIPS
United States DUI Stats :
All 50 states now have two statutory offenses[1]. The first is the traditional offense, variously called driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI), driving while intoxicated/impaired (DWI) or operating while intoxicated/impaired (OWI). The second and more recent is the so-called illegal per se offense of driving with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% (previously 0.10%) or higher. The first offense requires proof of intoxication, although evidence of BAC is admissible as rebuttably presumptive evidence of that intoxication; the second requires only proof of BAC at the time of being in physical control of a motor vehicle. An accused may be convicted of both offenses, but may only be punished for one.
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Divorce |
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Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the ending of a marriage before the death of either spouse, which can be contrasted with an annulment, which is a declaration that a marriage is void, though the effects of marriage may be recognized in such unions, such as spousal support, child custody, and distribution of property.
In many developed countries, divorce rates have increased markedly during the 20th century. Among the states in which divorce has become commonplace are the United States, South Korea, and members of the European Union, with the exception of Malta (where all civil marriages are for life because civil divorce is banned, which is also the case in the Philippines). In the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, and some other developed Commonwealth countries, this boom in divorce developed in the last half of the 20th century. Japan retains a markedly lower divorce rate, though it has increased in recent years. In addition, acceptance of the single-parent family
has resulted in many women deciding to have children outside marriage
as there is little remaining social stigma attached to unwed mothers in
some societies. The subject of divorce as a social phenomenon is an
important research topic in sociology.
A divorce must be certified by a court of law, as a legal action is
needed to dissolve the prior legal act of marriage. The terms of the
divorce are also determined by the court, though they may take into
account prenuptial agreements,
or simply ratify terms that the spouses have agreed on privately.
Often, however, the spouses disagree about the terms of the divorce,
which can lead to stressful (and expensive) litigation. A less adversarial approach to divorce settlements has also emerged in recent years, known as family mediation, an attempt to negotiate mutually acceptable resolution to conflicts.
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DUI
& Driving Under The Influence:
Field Sobriety Test :
An increasingly used field sobriety test involves having the suspect breathe into a small, handheld breath testing device. Called variously a PAS (preliminary alcohol screening) or PBT (preliminary breath test), the units are small, inexpensive versions of their larger, more sophisticated instruments at the police stations, the EBTs (evidentiary breath test). Whereas the EBTs usually employ infrared spectroscopy, the PAS units use a relatively simple electrochemical (fuel cell) technology. Their purpose, along with other FSTs, is to assist the officer in determining probable cause for arrest. Although because of their relative inaccuracy they were never intended to be used in court for proving actual blood-alcohol concentration, some courts have begun to admit them as evidence of BAC.
DUI Jurisdictions :
Many jurisdictions require more serious penalties (such as jail time, larger fines, longer DUI program, the installation of ignition interlock devices) in cases where the driver's BAC is over 0.20, or 0.15 in some places. These additional sanctions are an attempt to deter and punish the operation of a vehicle at extremely high BAC levels and the concomitant danger posed to the safety of persons and property by heavily impaired drivers. In many cases, the reason given for these additional sanctions is because an average person would have passed out from that much alcohol.
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