Drunk driving continues to be one of the most serious crimes in the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about 1.5 million people are arrested yearly for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. First-time offenders are not always prepared to handle the legalities that start when they have been charged with a DUI. Hiring a good attorney is one of the most important things you can do as you navigate the next steps to take.

Not Contacting a DUI Attorney

Many people aren’t sure what they should and should not do following a DUI charge. In some states, you can make your situation worse by doing the breathalyzer test or volunteering information to law enforcement. An attorney will be able to help you understand what you should and should not do so you don’t make the charges worse. DUI laws are complex and do require in-depth knowledge of the legal system.

An experienced and skilled DUI attorney will have experience with cases similar to yours and will be able to create a case strategy that provides a favorable outcome. The judges are another thing to consider as some are tougher on different types of DUI cases, so you do want an attorney who has dealt with the judges previously. The right attorney knows how to effectively present the information to the court in a way the judge prefers. Always make sure you are protected and do yourself a favor and hire an experienced DUI attorney.

Social Media

After you have been charged with a DUI, avoid social media. Make sure you have set your social media account to private so the information on your accounts cannot be used against you. Unfortunately, many people make their situation worse with pictures and postings showing you with drugs or alcohol on the night of the arrest. Prosecutors often use social media accounts and pull the incriminating photos to use against you in court. Not only do the images on the account hurt your case, they can also damage your reputation. Even if you are innocent, photographs and posts are not the information you need circulating about you. Do yourself a favor and avoid social media in the wake of a DUI arrest and do not post anything!

Acting Nonchalant

Following a DUI arrest, you need to take the situation seriously. Unfortunately, too many people act nonchalant after the arrest and assume their attorney will swoop in and take care of everything. If you haven’t taken a moment to write down everything that has occurred, you can make your attorney’s job extremely difficult to negotiate the best deal possible. Here are some things you need to work on following a DUI stop:

• When and where were you when you were stopped?
• Why did the officer stop you?
• Did you take a breath test? What did the device look like?
• Did you tell the officer anything about what you ate or drank?
• What tests did the officer do in addition to the breath test? Did you do a eye tracking test, talk and turn, and one leg stand?

Taking a few minutes to go over everything and writing it down can help your attorney work on your case. The Law Offices of David Knecht Law in Vacaville has extensive experience in criminal law. Our team is here to help. Contact our office for a consultation.

If you’ve been charged with a DUI, don’t give up on a powerful defense. This article will explain key DUI defenses that you can discuss with your lawyer to plan an attack against the prosecution’s evidence:

Reasonable Suspicion for the Stop. Examine the reason for the stop.  Did the officer observe a violation of the law?  Or did he pull you over because of a guess or a prejudice?  The officer must have reasonable suspicion that the driver or passenger have committed, is committing or will commit a crime.  Reasonable suspicion is more than a hunch and has to be based on specific facts.  If the officer can’t justify the stop, then your attorney can file a Motion to Suppress the evidence.  If the motion is successful, the prosecution will typically not have the evidence available to convict you.

Don’t Assume the Blood Alcohol Tests Are Irrefutable. A test is intimidating evidence, but there are still ways to undermine the reliability of this evidence against you:

• Undermine the reliability of the testing procedures.
  • Did the administrator of the test have the proper training?
  • Were the testing procedures followed with exactness?
  • Was the device functioning properly?
  • Were there results that were inconsistent with each other?
  • Did they observe you prior to the DUI?
  • Were you smoking, eating, drinking, burping, vomiting, etc. prior to or during the test?
• Rising Blood Alcohol. The relevant point in time for blood alcohol level is at the moment you are driving.  If your blood alcohol level goes up after you are arrested because the alcohol is absorbing into the blood stream, then you have an argument that the test is not accurate to the level while you were driving.
  • The amount of food that is consumed, the gender of the driver, and other factors may play into whether the blood alcohol defense can be credibly asserted
• Medical Problem Defense. The key point here is whether you have a medical problem that would render the results inaccurate.
  • Do you have a medical condition such as asthma or emphysema that affects your lung capacity and ability to blow into a machine?

Fight the Officer’s Observations and Field Sobriety Tests.

• The key here is to undermine the validity of the tests. Do you have a medical condition?  Were there weather conditions?  Did the officer explain and administer the tests properly?
• tests, or if correct instructions were not given, then you can question the reliability of the conclusions drawn from the tests.

Don’t give up.  There are many possible defenses in your case, so consult with your attorney.