If the traffic police flagged you down and subjected you to a roadside breath test where you tested positive, the first thing you need to do is pull over in a safe place. When a police officer asks you to pull off the road, he will soon observe you and write all his impressions in his police report. Remember that he may have already observed something unusual before he initiated the stop, and these observations might have shown that you’re driving impaired or drunk.
Since you can’t do anything about these observations when you are flagged down, what happens after can have a massive impact on the investigation, hearings, and criminal trial results. If you’re proven guilty, you can expect the revocation or suspension of your driver’s license. Be careful of how you pull over because this is one of the first things the police officer observes.
If you pull over abruptly, park in an unsafe place, or drive erratically, expect the police officer to tick in more items in the impaired or drunk checklist. Aside from watching how you pull over, https://www.danielfloreslaw.com/ suggests that you do these things when you’re caught drunk driving:
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Refrain from making sudden and suspicious movements
These police officers don’t know what exactly you are thinking, so they’re always cautious and ready to protect themselves. It’s customary for them to approach the vehicle from behind to get a better view of the whole scene. This means that if you intend to attack them, you’ll need to make a complete turn. It’s, therefore, in your best interest to never provoke or jest the apprehending officer.
Never make sudden movements, avoid twisting around to check if the officer is approaching you, and never crouch down or jump out of the car in embarrassment. Keep both hands on the wheel until the apprehending officers knock on your window and ask for your ID.
Remain polite
Police officers are human too, so they are most likely to show compassion and leniency when they see that you’re genuinely polite and respectful. Suppose you’re hostile, insincere, or rude, the arresting officer is more inclined to arrest you, take offense, and do everything in his power to convict you.
They could also write a very incriminating report against you. If they ask you to step out of your truck, make sure to comply. Otherwise, you can be charged for resisting arrest. Remain cordial since you couldn’t do anything now but comply with their requests. You can take note of any irregularities to tackle with your lawyer later. Your goal now is to keep them from noticing anything that could be taken against you in court.
Don’t lie but refrain from answering incriminating questions
The apprehending police officers are trained to use one’s anxiety of getting flagged down when the situation calls for it. As a result, most people get so overwhelmed by the pressure that they end up incriminating themselves, most especially if they’re covering the truth.
Yes, you are bound to tell them your name and give your registration, license, and insurance information. However, if they start asking you if you’re driving under the influence of alcohol or how much alcohol you have consumed, you can politely turn down the question.
Instead of blurting out anything that comes to mind, simply say you’re sorry, but you’re advised not to answer any question that might incriminate you. Expect that the police officer will subject you to a lot of pressure to elicit the answer they want. They might also arrest you, and you may end up losing your license immediately. However, these are less severe repercussions than rendering jail time because you willfully incriminated yourself.
Remember, it’s never a good idea to lie, so answer their non-incriminating questions truthfully. If you only had a shot or two, it’s your discretion to reveal this fact to the officer. Generally, one or two shots of alcoholic drinks won’t place you above the legal limit. However, its effects may vary from person to person and the kind of drink you had. So, when you’re in serious doubt, remain silent.
Call your lawyer right away
As soon as you get the chance, call your DUI lawyer right away so that you will be guided on what to do next. Your DUI attorney will make sure that you won’t do and say anything further that could hurt your case. He could also inform you what to look for and what to document so that you could build a substantial defense later.
