Customer Reviews

Drunk Driving Defense

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a criminal DUI/DWI defense lawyer in one of Virginia's leading DUI defense firms, I have read this text along with others including The Defense of Drunk Drivers published by West.


This text, Drunk Driving Defense, without mention, is not a text for laypersons; it is specifically written for attorneys interested in the minute aspects of DUI defense litigation and the technical arenas of blood alcohol testing. The book provides fundamentals in the technical defenses and assumptions in DUI cases, but not at the level one would expect from a hornbook.


Indeed, I agree with the statement that this book has an overview of the laws of the 50 states. For persons interested in defending cases in Virginia, I would recommend the text mentioned above from West along with publications of the VCLE of the Virginia Law Foundation. Both of these references have a more concrete treatment of DUI defense litigation in the Commonwealth.

This new edition is even better than the previous editions -- which were great! Updated laws, new scientific studies on breath alcohol analysis and field sobriety tests, new sample pretrial motions and cross-examinations, jury selection, license suspensions, etc. I particularly found the detailed checklists helpful, along with the sample cross-examinations of the cop on things like DUI symptoms, nystagmus, field sobriety tests and breath tests. Taylor's book became my bible years ago, and this new edition is even bigger and better!

The product I ordered was apparently an old yearly supplement to the book "Drunk Driving Defense". I paid way to much for a supplement book that was outdated and probably discarded by someone who bought the new supplement.

I don't remember the ad and it may have been my fault for not being more observant.

It was too in depth for what I was looking for. It is very detailed about the various chemical and sobriety tests. Also, it covers the law of many states, but was not specific about what the law is in each state. I would have preferred a California specific practice guide.

Great book and a good start to anyone who wants to find out how to defend a DUI case.

I read this book for the first time more than a decade ago when I first became a serious student of the DUI laws and the defense of those accused of them. Since then I've read dozens of books, and have even written a couple of them.Defending Drinking Drivers. Larry Taylor's book still stands without equal as the best of its kind. Highly recommended.

Patrick T. Barone [...]

I am an attorney who defends people accused of driving under the influence in California. This review assumes that you are also an attorney, not necessarily in California.

As any attorney will know the laws of one state are not binding, although they may be influencial. Mr. Taylor's book has an excellent overview of the laws of th 50 states. I read this book and learned alot about how I could defend my clients better. Unfortately, DUI laws change more then most. The laws cited here, even when they were applicable to California were old. While you can update them in your library, I would prefer a book where I didn't have to do that as often. As such, I would recommend this book, as one of many, to give you an idea about the general state of the laws and some ideas about human chemistry/biology. But, for a practical guide, I would recommmend his other book "tailored" for California. Still it is a good book, it is well written, and I do recommend it.

I opened the book to a random page and read an excerpt from an appellate case.* It struck me as odd, so I looked the case up. Turns out, the cited case was reversed 6 months after it was published, and 20 years before this book was published. To me, that automatically makes this book unacceptable.

*page 58 at the bottom, if you're interested

An essential for every DUI/DWI Defense Attorney.