This New Year's Eve the Safe Ride Program once again is providing would-be drunk drivers with free cab fare throughout the weekend. This large scale effort to reduce drunk driving fatalities provided by the Washington Regional Alcohol Program is in its 18th year. Last New Year's Eve the program provided about 1,000 free taxis within the greater DC area.

By calling 1-800-200-TAXI, drunken party-goers can get a free ride home up to a value of $30. The ride must originate in the District of Columbia; Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William and Eastern Loudoun Counties in Virginia; and the Cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas and Manassas Park.

Service hours are between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am and the program runs tonight the 30th and tomorrow night, New Year's Eve. A few things to remember:

• You cannot reserve ahead or call to schedule a pickup in advance; the call must originate during program hours and will be dispatched as soon as a taxi is available,


• You must pay any fare amount in excess of $30,


• The free ride does not include tip and you should remember to tip your driver in relation to the total fare amount, and


• You must be 21 or older to ride with the service

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Participating taxi companies include: Alexandria Yellow Cab (Alexandria), Fairfax Yellow Cab (Fairfax County), Loudoun Yellow Cab (Eastern Loudoun County), Manassas Cab Company (Prince William County), Red Top Cab Company (Arlington County), Yellow Cab of District of Columbia (District of Columbia), and Yellow Cab of Prince William County (Prince William County). When waiting for your ride, watch for a taxi from a participating company from your area.

This weekend the streets will be flooded with police officers looking for drunk drivers. Protect yourself and your passengers by planning appropriate transportation. Have a designated driver or take public transport or hire a car; but if none of those options are available, Safe Ride is. Have a safe and happy New Year and call 1-800-200-TAXI to avoid risking DUI.

Law clerk Rosie Brown wrote this blog post. Price Benowitz LLP is a DC based law firm handling criminal defense, immigration, and personal injury cases. For more information about the firms expanding personal injury practice, please visit the Virginia Accident Lawyer and Maryland Accident Attorney websites.

Years ago as a newly minted associate at a general practice litigation firm, I was exposed to all facets of litigation. An area that immediately caught my interest was criminal law. New associates generally start off their criminal law careers small, working their way up from traffic cases and lower class misdemeanors before handling more serious offenses like DUI's, drug offenses, and violent crimes. I was no different, having negotiated dozens of traffic infractions, accident cases, and reckless driving matters before being handed my first solo DUI.

The client was a longtime client of the firm and I was under strict instructions by the client that nothing more than conviction for a minor moving violation was acceptable. After thoroughly researching the case law, talking with the client and the arresting officer, and visiting the scene of the alleged traffic violation, I was convinced that I had discovered the young lawyer's nirvana: the perfect intersection of law and fact to present to the prosecutor, who would invariably see the wisdom of my argument and reduce the charge to its appropriate traffic offense, or dismiss the matter entirely. The law in question was the case of Commonwealth v. King, holding that mere movement in a lane, without breaking the white lines or disregarding other traffic laws, is insufficient as a matter of law for initiating a traffic stop. The facts supported the law as the driver had swung wide, but within the lane, on a banking stretch of road on a rainy night, then corrected to the other side of the lane, but never breaking the white line. Done and done, or so I thought.

The prosecutor, perhaps detecting my relative inexperience, declined to nolle prosequi the charge. I was shocked. Why couldn't she see what I saw? Instead, she maintained that the client had the option to take a plea deal that would suspended all jail time, but still be a DUI, or go to trial. My client was initially hesitant. I advised the client that the law and facts were on our side, but that the client would likely need to testify if the officer's testimony was sufficient to survive my motion to strike the evidence. The client agreed to go to trial after being reassured about the right to appeal de novo in the Circuit Court if the judge failed to agree with my reasoning.

As it turned out, the general district court judge allowed the case to proceed and my client testified as to driving behavior, the client's lack of impairment, and the defects in the officer's report of the field sobriety tests. The judge dismissed the matter even before I could return to my table after closing argument, offering in the ruling that the case probably should not have made it past the motion to strike, but that it was good to see a young attorney try a case properly for once. My client was overjoyed that the system worked as it should and my career decision to be a Virginia criminal defense lawyer was cemented.

The concept of writing an introductory blog is straightforward, but it can soon lead down a rabbit hole of self-examination and reflection.

I was not always so confident that I wanted to be a Virginia criminal defense lawyer or a personal injury lawyer. My initial exposure to the law was as a defendant in a civil suit. Involved in a two-car accident on a stormy summer night in high school, I was surprised to see the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Deputy at my door many months after my case had been dismissed in traffic court. Served? Lawsuit? Twenty-One Days to File a Response? My head was swimming and once the confusion subsided, fantasies of representing myself and being a John Grisham-style natural in the courtroom took over. That thought was quickly dismissed by the deputy, who reminded me to notify my insurance company right now. I did and they took over from there.

Weeks later I was contacted by a local Fredericksburg firm and they invited me to their office to give a statement about the accident. Hired by the insurance company, I was their client too, and they treated me as such. Much to the delight of a high school student contemplating his college major the next fall, the entire process was explained to me as if it was an assignment I would be working on. Soon I was presented with discovery to answer, which felt like extra homework without the benefit of extra credit at times, and my deposition was taken. The confidence, professionalism, and ability of both my attorneys as well as the plaintiff's attorney made a lasting impression. Years later, I looked back on those events fondly and decided to investigate law as a career. To my surprise, both firms agreed to allow me to shadow their attorneys for one-week externships, in which I sat in on client meetings, did some legal research, and went to court. It was an amazing experience that instilled in me humble beginnings of the qualities necessary to practice law in this great Commonwealth.

This blog post was written by Thomas Soldan. He is admitted to practice in Virginia. With offices in Leesburg and Warrenton, he represents clients charged with Virginia DUI and Virginia reckless driving, In addition to criminal defense, he represents victims in personal injury cases. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law and Lafayette College, where he was a prestigious Marquis Scholar.