Knowing what to do during a traffic stop or an arrest can be difficult. Most people don’t get arrested on a regular basis, and it is natural to be confused if you are facing an arrest. There are a lot of myths out there about what you should or should not say during an arrest, but not everything you hear about is accurate. While there is no way to hand out a script of what to say and how to act, there are some things everyone should know about an arrest. If you are able to keep your wits about you and stay calm, you will have overcome one of the most challenging hurdles. Your actions after an arrest are also important, as they can have a huge impact on the outcome of your case.
For example, in a DUI case, avoiding these four common mistakes will go a long way towards obtaining results that you can live with:
- Act fast, which means you should contact a skilled DUI defense attorney as soon as you can. You only have ten days to ask for a review of the revocation of your driver’s license, and this is a deadline that cannot be changed. If you are not able to get out of jail within this time frame, be sure to have a friend or family member act on your behalf until you are able to bond out of jail.
- If you fail to seek administrative review of the loss of your license, do not drive! It may be tempting to hop in your car and go just a few blocks down the street, but if you get pulled over you will put your entire driving future in jeopardy and the outcome of the criminal portion of your DUI case could also be impacted.
- Be sure to take a look at how the breath test was given to you, and whether there are circumstances that could lead to the results being deemed invalid. It may be that the machine was not properly maintained, that the test was not administered according to regulations, or that there were legal substances in your system that “read” like alcohol.
- Resist the temptation to try and sweet talk your way out of an arrest. Keep your responses short and polite, and do not try to persuade the officer to give you a free pass.
Most DUI cases are resolved by agreeing to go on probation for a period of time, which requires you to stay out of trouble for the entire probationary period. For those that can successfully complete this task, the charges are often reduced and the mark on your record less damaging. Keeping a DUI off of your record will also help you to maintain reasonable insurance rates, which is something most defendants desire. Call our office to find out more about your case, and what you can do to reach satisfactory results.
For help defending criminal DUI charges, call our office to speak with a qualified criminal defense attorney. We help people charged with all sorts of crimes in Stuart and the Treasure Coast. Call today to schedule an appointment.