Attempt to Elude an Officer in Ocean City

Charges for the attempt to elude an officer in Ocean City means a driver was aware that an officer was trying to make contact, and the driver chose not to stop. People sometimes think it is better to try to run than just try to stop.

If a person has been seen doing something and then they decide to flee, that could give them cause to be stopped and, depending on what it is, that makes the situation a little bit worse as the attempt to elude is added onto the charges that would be brought against them. If this should occur to you, an established traffic attorney can speak to you about how to handle this type of accusation.

Common Scenarios Interpreted as Attempt to Elude an Officer

When proving attempt to elude an officer in Ocean City, there must be something that lets the person know that the officer is trying to stop them.The officer is assuming that the person is properly seeing, or should have seen, the officer trying to make the stop. That is one of the most important parts of the offense – that the person actually has to know that the officer tried to initiate a stop.

For example, if an officer is trying to initiate a stop and turns on the sirens and lights, they make it very clear that they are directing a car to stop. But then a driver speeds up to get away. To give a ticket, an officer actually has to stop the person, unless there is a speeding camera.

Contesting Alleged Driving Behaviors

Sometimes drivers have a hard time finding a safe place to pull over when the officer assumes that the person is not going to stop. To contest that misinterpretation, attorneys could try explaining, on the driver’s behalf, that they were trying to find somewhere safe enough to pull over and the officers just did not know that.

Understanding the Severity of an Attempt to Elude an Officer Charge

Charges for attempt to elude an officer in Ocean City can be a felony or a misdemeanor, but it is typically a misdemeanor. In Maryland, the maximum penalty is one year in jail and a fine or maybe 12 points on their driving record. So, that is a misdemeanor because anything that has a year or less in jail is a misdemeanor offense. With 12 points on a license, that would mean that a person’s license is taken away and revoked.

Expections for Defending Attempt to Elude Traffic Cases

There are many defenses to attempt to elude an officer in Ocean City cases so it is possible to not get any points or other ramifications. There is room for misunderstanding with these situations and defenses can be made based upon that. Attorneys can help with the process of putting together a defense and thinking about what exactly the argument would be as to why the person may not have stopped right away. An attorney could explain the driver was looking for a safe place to pull over or if there were many cars on the road they may not have realized that the officer was trying to get their attention.