Mistakes to Avoid During DUI Proceedings, Part 1

DUI charges are very serious, and even small mistakes on your part can end up costing you greatly. Getting an experienced attorney right away is a great way to maintain your defense, and here are some tips to prevent from doing any damage to your DUI defense.

• Don’t resist arrest at all. There are many things that can be construed as resisting arrest, such as turning or walking away, running away, driving away, or offering resistance to being handcuffed and taken into custody. Doing any of these things, and being accused of resisting arrest does nothing but buy you criminal charges, and raise the probability of you suffering physical harm or retaliatory actions by police officers.
• Once the arrest has been made, don’t protest the arrest and plead your innocence with the arresting officer any more. The officer’s mind is entirely made up, and anything you say can further incriminate you. Even if you feel your constitutional rights have been violated, maintain your silence until you can hire a DUI defense attorney. They will take your side of the story, and then focus on building you a strong defense. If your constitutional rights were in face violated, it could lead to your DUI charges being dismissed. This is only possible through the proper legal channels though.
• Remain silent. The right to remain silent is one of your legal Miranda rights. Exercise this right as soon as possible. Let the police see that you are willing to cooperate with them, so they don’t see you as resisting, but make sure they know you won’t be answering any questions about your charges without an attorney present. Then, of course, hire the assistance of an experienced DUI attorney as soon as possible.

Using these tips, and the tips to come in future entries, your DUI proceedings should go as smoothly as possible.