Facing a DUI charge can be daunting, especially if you aren’t sure what you should do next in order to protect your future. The best thing to do is to keep calm, learn the facts, and develop a simple plan. At Skousen & Reedy, PLC, we want you to be prepared if you should ever find yourself charged with a DUI. Below, we’ve listed some of the best moves to make following an arrest:
1. Take Notes
Write down everything you can remember about the night of your arrest and the day’s events leading to that night. Be specific and include times, locations, and names of people you were with and places you went. Record all of the information you can remember about what you drank and ate, how much, and when. Also look into the area you were arrested. Look for anything that could have negatively affected your driving, such as construction, road hazards, unclear traffic signs, etc.. Take pictures, if possible.
If you took a field sobriety, blood or breath test, describe how the test went. Were you wearing heels when you did your field test, or was the ground uneven? Did you burp before the breath test? Any of these factors could have resulted in an inaccurate test and should be noted before you forget.
2. Find Witnesses
In addition to taking notes of your night, find other people who saw you throughout the night and ask if they can serve as a witness. Try to avoid family or friends, instead try to find valet workers, restaurant servers, or other people who saw you before you got into your vehicle. These witnesses can vouch for your sober state and can strengthen your defense in court.
3. Contact an Attorney
A competent DUI lawyer can help you in a way that no other advice can. While general advice can indeed be useful, there is no replacement for an individual evaluation of your case by an experienced legal professional. A good attorney will be able to assess the particulars of your case and offer you specific advice that can give you your best chance at reducing or dropping charges.
4. Request a Hearing
In the state of Arizona, as with most states, you will have 15 days from the date of your arrest until your license will be suspended. To avoid this, you may request an administrative hearing within that 15 day window. If you fail to meet this deadline, your license could be suspended for 90 days.
The consequences of a DUI can be quite severe and life-altering if improperly defended. DUI penalties can damage your reputation and result in fines, jail time, community service hours, probation, or license suspension. In order to avoid these serious penalties, follow these 4 invaluable pieces of advice, and be sure to contact the attorneys at Skousen & Reedy, PLC.