If you are pulled over by police and arrested for DUI, your world may turn upside down in a hurry. Since these charges can have significant consequences and also be embarrassing to you and your family, it is important you take the necessary steps to fight the charges and make sure your case is resolved in the best possible manner. To make this happen, it is recommended you take the following six steps following your DUI arrest.
Don’t Admit Fault
Even if you are arrested by police for DUI, that does not necessarily mean you are guilty of DUI. Despite an officer determining you failed field sobriety tests or a breathalyzer, never admit that you are at fault. In many cases, a breathalyzer test can provide inaccurate results due to the machine being faulty or the officer not being fully-trained in its use.
Stay Off Social Media
While your case is playing out, stay off social media as much as possible. Though it may be tempting to go online and vent your frustrations with police or proclaim your innocence, doing so can only hurt your case. Rather than have something you say online be used against you in court, use good judgement and let your attorney handle things on your behalf.
Don’t Miss Your Court Appearance
In these situations, never miss your court appearance under any circumstances. Also, be sure your appearance is impeccable, you are polite to the judge, and that any character witnesses who accompany you do the same. Since this is your chance to put your best foot forward and impress the judge, do all you can to walk away with the charges being reduced or dropped.
Accept the Possible Consequences
Even if this is your first DUI offense, accept the fact that you may be found guilty by the judge and given various types of punishment. While you probably won’t face jail time for your first offense unless others were severely injured by your actions, you could expect fines, probation, suspension of your driver’s license, and possibly community service being part of your sentence.
Document Your Arrest
Even though the officer who pulled you over and arrested you filed a police report about your arrest, make sure you document as many details as possible about the arrest on your own. For example, write down anything unusual regarding how the field sobriety tests or breathalyzer tests were administered, any unusual remarks made to you by the officer, or other key points that may be important to your case. Once you give this information to your attorney, they may be able to cross-examine the officer and get them to admit mistakes were made during your arrest. Should this occur, the court may immediately dismiss your case.
Hire a DUI Attorney
When you have been arrested for DUI, hiring an attorney who specializes in defending clients against DUI charges is perhaps the most important thing you can do to ensure your case is resolved in a fair manner. By hiring an experienced and knowledgeable attorney who knows how these cases typically play out, you give yourself a much better chance of emerging from court a winner. Whether it is determining the breathalyzer wasn’t working properly, the officer had no valid reason to pull over your vehicle, or that the officer failed to inform you of your Miranda rights prior to placing you under arrest, these are just a few ways a skilled DUI attorney can be of assistance.
Should you be facing DUI charges, schedule a consultation immediately with a DUI attorney to discuss your situation in greater detail.
