Charges for driving under the influence of alcohol are serious, with the potential for severe penalties and jail time even with first offenses. No one should attempt to handle this arrest or pending charges on their own but instead, reach out to an experienced lawyer with this particular specialty.
A Legal professional versed in drunk driving can maneuver through the red tape and the court system to help bring you the worst-case scenario and what might be your best option.
Sometimes, the attorney can get charges reduced with dismissals possible depending on the severity surrounding the allegations. Each situation and the facts about those are unique and will have a different outcome.
A lawyer might find it worthwhile to try a case considering the legal circumstances, while others deem it more appropriate to shoot for a plea bargain. What are some preventive tips recommended for drivers with the potential for drinking and getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle? Let’s learn together.
What Preventive Tips Do Attorneys Suggest To Avoid Drunk Driving
The consensus is abstaining from alcohol is key if you happen to be the one driving. If you find yourself in a circumstance where driving under the influence is unavoidable, leading to your arrest, the less you say and do at the pull-over scene, the better your legal situation.
The ideal scenario would be arriving as quickly as possible at the police station and obtaining legal counsel who will take over handling the incident’s repercussions. While most first offenses are given a “standard plea deal offering,” that doesn’t mean you need to jump on that.
Doing so can result in more severe consequences if you find yourself arrested for a second incident down the road. A DUI lawyer can navigate the standard plea offer, possibly reducing it or getting the charges dropped altogether. Go here for guidance on how to win a DUI case.
What can you do to avoid this whole scene or help your circumstances if you get arrested? Check out these tips.
● If you know you’ll be drinking, don’t plan to drive
When you have plans to go out, if there is any possibility you’ll be consuming alcohol, ensure you have a designated driver for the evening or an alternate way to get back home.
It’s easy to say, “Don’t drink and drive,” quite simple, really, and still, with each passing day, thousands of people throughout the country ignore this basic directive. Since many pass under the authorities’ radar, the behavior’s repercussions are lost on them.
Many don’t realize the impact not only on a driving record and the license but the potential for jail time, loss of employment, massive fines, preventive devices placed in autos, and counseling requirements.
Someone with a first offense might swipe these away, believing they don’t apply to them. These are minimum requirements for a person convicted of a (quote) “1st-time Regular Misdemeanor DUI conviction.” (end quote)
The greater your alcohol intake or blood alcohol content or for those coming in with a second offense or felony charges, the more severe the repercussions.
No one genuinely plans to get inebriated and drive without their faculties. It’s a mistake that happens to so many people. The thing to do is plan ahead to avoid the situation because once you are excessively drunk, there’s no reasoning or common sense.
● Cooperate but self-protect when arrested
No one wants to create more problems for themself than are already occurring when pulled over while intoxicated. It’s expected that you will cooperate with law enforcement, but it is also anticipated that you will protect yourself and your rights until you have legal counsel to assist you.
Generally, a late-night or early-morning pull-over by a police officer will be a drunk driving check. Still, the officer will need a viable reason for the stop, whether you’re swerving on the road, an issue with the car, or another excuse to be able to speak with you to determine your state of mind.
There will likely be symptoms of drinking, like the smell of alcohol, slurred speech, and bloodshot eyes, but these don’t conclusively indicate that someone is drunk while driving. There can be many other causes. The problems begin when you answer the prodding questions posed by the police officer, like “have you been drinking?”
The case is starting to establish with each admission. While you don’t want to be uncooperative, you are well within respectful rights to remain silent to avoid incriminating yourself, and that right should always be instituted.
● The field sobriety tests are not mandatory
The recommendation is that you not do the field sobriety tests, which the authorities use to evidence their case against you. Things like “Finger-to-nose, watching the pen, one-leg stance, walk then turn” and the breath test consisting of a portable device to measure blood alcohol, standard with suspicions of drunk driving.
The only requirements when pulled over are providing a license, registration, and proof of insurance. The other requests are merely that, requests. These you can deny. Not doing so minimizes the evidence for the charges being brought against you.
● Obtain a DUI attorney
You are constitutionally allowed to obtain legal counsel before evidence is gathered like urine, breath, or blood, and it would be for your greatest good to take advantage of this right.
Doing so will give you the benefit of an attorney to stand with you for your rights, help prove your innocence, and advise on how to proceed with the case for the optimum outcome. If the authorities in any way violate this right, there is great potential for the charges to be thrown out by the court.
Final Thought
No one sets out to get behind the wheel when drinking alcohol in excess. Unfortunately, many people make this mistake leading to arrests with severe penalties. While everyone wants to be respectful and cooperative with our law enforcement, it’s also crucial that you protect yourself and your rights.
Fortunately, one of those rights is obtaining an attorney specializing in drunk driving cases to help you navigate the legalities of the system to achieve the best possible outcome. Take advantage of this and all rights available to you. They’re meant for your greatest good.