As the holiday season approaches, the festivities bring joy but also a heightened risk of DUI incidents.

Steve Palmer sheds light on the intricacies of DUI representation and the crucial role of sobriety checkpoints.

The holiday season, marked by celebrations and gatherings, unfortunately, sees an increase in drinking and driving. Steve highlights that police enforcement intensifies during this period, with officers strategically positioning themselves near entertainment districts to monitor potential DUI offenders.

Check out this previous episode on DUI check points.

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to explaining sobriety checkpoints. These checkpoints, which often appear in news and social Media alerts, are a common sight during the holidays.

Steve addresses a common question: Are these checkpoints constitutional? The answer is yes, provided they are designed to target specific issues like DUIs and operate without subjective judgment. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld their constitutionality, requiring that stops be random or part of a systematic pattern, rather than based on an officer's discretion.

Steve advises you on how to handle encounters with law enforcement at these checkpoints. While the Fourth Amendment requires police to justify stops, once a vehicle is stopped, officers are permitted to conduct investigations. This underscores the importance of responsible drinking and utilizing Services like Uber or Lyft to avoid the risk of a DUI.

Submit your questions to www.lawyertalkpodcast.com.

Recorded at Channel 511.

Stephen E. Palmer, Esq. has been practicing criminal defense almost exclusively since 1995. He has represented people in federal, state, and local courts in Ohio and elsewhere.

Though he focuses on all areas of criminal defense, he particularly enjoys complex cases in state and federal courts.

He has unique experience handling and assembling top defense teams of attorneys and experts in cases involving allegations of child abuse (false sexual allegations, false physical abuse allegations), complex scientific cases involving allegations of DUI and vehicular homicide cases with blood alcohol tests, and any other criminal cases that demand jury trial experience.

Steve has unique experience handling numerous high publicity cases that have garnered national attention.

For more information about Steve and his law firm, visit Palmer Legal Defense.

Copyright 2026 Stephen E. Palmer - Attorney At Law