A DUI case, more often than not, starts with a person being pulled over and questioned by the police. The police may have received a tip that the driver was under the influence of alcohol or they may have observed behavior that led them to believe the person had been drinking. Either way, what the driver does next is going to have a large impact on how their case proceeds and whether they can walk away from the incident without a DUI conviction on their record.
A person who is pulled over needs to be polite to the officers and follow all directions they are given. They should state their name and address if requested and give the officer any necessary information to prove who they are. They do not have to answer any questions about what they were doing, where they were going, or if they had been drinking earlier in the evening, because answering questions can lead to providing information that can be used against them. Instead, they can politely decline to answer and ask to speak with their lawyer before any further questioning.
If the officer does a field test, they will need to ensure they follow all directions. The officer will often have them submit to a BAC test as well. Most states are implied consent states, meaning the person has already agreed to take the test if requested simply by obtaining a driver’s license. It’s a good idea to simply take the test and have a lawyer deal with determining whether or not it was valid later. If the test comes back stating the person is over the legal limit, they will likely be arrested and taken to jail. They can then ask to speak with a DWI Lawyer or wait until they are released on bail to hire a lawyer.
The faster a person hires a DWI Lawyer, the more the lawyer can do to help them; however, by following the tips above, the driver will give the lawyer a good place to start once they take the case.
