3 Things To Know Before Getting A DUI
by Jared Matthews
Do you like to go out for an occasional drink? Are you worried about getting arrested for a DUI, even if you aren't actually impaired? Being arrested when you've done nothing wrong is a big fear for many people. Unfortunately, you may not know how to properly protect yourself if you have the bad luck to be pulled over for something completely unrelated on the way home from a party. While you should obviously contact a DUI attorney as soon as possible, here are some things to keep in mind:
"Alcohol breath" means nothing: Actual alcohol has very little scent that's detectable by the human nose. It's all of the byproducts of the alcohol fermentation process that you notice. Someone who has been drinking multiple very pure alcoholic drinks, and who is now drunk, is likely to smell "more sober" than a person like yourself who has only had one beer. Leaving a party or bar where alcoholic drinks were being consumed, you may smell like booze for a while even if you didn't actually drink any yourself. So if a police officer arrests you for a DUI and the only evidence that he or she has is that you "smelled drunk" then your DUI attorney may have a good case for you.
Breath tests aren't always accurate: Although a breath test can be a good way to gauge how drunk someone is, they aren't perfect. Their readings can vary widely depending on a number of environmental conditions. If you recently brushed your teeth and used mouthwash afterward, you may blow a high reading even if you've not touched a drop of drinking alcohol. Depending on other factors, your DUI attorney may be able to reduce or eliminate the charge if a breath test is the only evidence that the prosecution has. In order to confirm that you were actually under the influence, some other test probably should have been run as well.
Don't reject the tests: Even though the breath tests may not always be completely accurate, you need to remember that it's not always a good idea to completely reject the tests. In some states, refusing to take a breath, blood or urine test can be seen as an automatic admission of guilt. You could face having your license revoked or being forced to add an ignition interlock device to your vehicle. For most people, it's probably easier to simply take the test now and have the reading challenged by your DUI attorney later than to refuse and have to deal with the consequences of that refusal.
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Sometimes it's necessary for individuals to hire a criminal attorney. If you've never had to hire an attorney before, you may not know exactly what to do. Hello, my name is Joanna, and this blog will tell you everything you need to know about hiring a criminal attorney to represent you in your legal matter. I was in this situation recently when a family member needed an attorney. I had to learn quickly what needed to be done, and in the end it all worked out great. I decided to compile a blog to help others learn what to do when they need to hire a criminal attorney. Since this can be a stressful experience, my hope is that this blog will help to ease some of the stress.