Blog

Help With Your Drunk Driving Charges

Help With Your Drunk Driving Charges

If a police officer recently charged you with driving under the influence, you may have a very limited window to get these charges reduced or dropped. One DUI conviction can change your whole life and you may not be able to get your dream job or you may have people constantly judging you before they get to know you. This can be difficult, which is why you should always try to fight DUI charges instead of going to court and pleading guilty. Below, you will find common questions regarding DUI charges so that you can be more familiar with what happens after you are charged and what kinds of defenses there might be.

Do I need to have a BAC of .08 to be charged with a DUI? 

This is a common misconception. Many people are surprised to find that if their BAC is under .08 then they can still be charged with a DUI. However, many states consider a person to still be driving under the influence if they are deemed “impaired.” This gives the police officer at the scene the discretion to determine if the driver of the vehicle can safely operate their car or not. 

What would make an officer pull me over? 

You may be wondering how an officer could know you were driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in the first place. There are a few things police officers are trained to watch out for, including whether the driver was: 

  • Driving on the wrong side of the road
  • Weaving in and out of lanes
  • Rolling through stoplights or stop signs
  • Driving too slow or too fast

If a police officer sees any of the above, they can pull you over.

Are there defenses to DUIs? 

There are certain defenses to DUIs that an attorney, like a drunk driving lawyer from a law firm like Rispoli & Borneo, P.C. could discuss with you. For example, if the police officer gave you a breath test and you believe the results were inaccurate, it is possible to argue that the test was not properly calibrated. Additionally, if the police officer stopped you and did not have a proper reason to stop you (you were not disobeying any traffic laws) then it is possible this is a violation of your rights. 

When you would like to defend yourself against DUI charges, you may want the help of a local attorney to see what your different options are.