While western nations like Canada lead the world in terms of fair and equitable justice, there are always a few areas that could use improvement. For instance, tens of thousands of people are stopped every year without probable cause, tricked into sobriety testing, and end up charged and convicted of a DUI (Driving Under the Influence). These issues can cost a person their license and could even result in very hefty fines and jail time. While there are no guarantees out there that you can beat any sort of charge, as the justice system often does what it wants, you can put yourself in a much better position to beat a DUI charge with a proper DUI lawyer and some essential tips.
How to Beat a DUI Charge
Again, it’s important to emphasize that there are no guarantees. The best thing anyone can possibly do is to drink responsibly and to never get behind the wheel while intoxicated. Not only do you risk a DUI, but you risk your safety and the safety of other people on the road. However, in the event you have been charged with such an offence, the good news is that there are specific ways to proceed and a few things you can do to increase your chances of beating the charge significantly.
Things You Can Do to Beat a DUI
Refuse the Field Testing
When pulled over, whether you have been drinking or are completely sober, you should always keep in the forefront of your mind that arrest is possible for a DUI, and that police may demand you do a field sobriety test or a series of them. Like walking, turning, breathalyzer, etc. No matter how loudly the officer asks, refuse the tests, which will not save you from getting arrested, if you’re a suspect of drinking, but you will not be held down and forced to give blood or blow into a tube. You may be arrested and charged, but there’s no evidence they have that you were drunk, other than the opinion of an officer, so you have a much higher chance of beating this in court.
Don’t Say a Word
Do not mumble a single word to them, except for “lawyer.” You will have no rights to a lawyer until which point you are arrested and your rights are read to you. So don’t bother asking for a lawyer during the initial stop. They will take you in, if arrested, and attempt to question you in some cold, dark room somewhere, trying to develop evidence that you are drunk while trying to get you to confess. Keep your mouth closed and demand a lawyer. You may have to spend the night in jail, but there’s nothing that can be held against you if you do not say anything to them.
Demand a Lawyer
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Like we mentioned in the tip above, get yourself a DUI lawyer. You may not be able to until the next day, depending on the time of your arrest, but it’s something you want to do sooner rather than lighter. A lawyer is going to help you get out of jail, help mitigate any potential formal charges, help you with taking steps to get your license back and, most importantly, will help you start to build up a case so that you can defeat the charge. This is not going to be possible unless you get a great lawyer, so take that step as soon as possible.
Work on Good Arguments to Present
It would help if you started working on a defence. Once arrested, the likelihood that you will be formally charged and have to appear in court is a near certainty. So it would help if you started working with your lawyer on different arguments, perhaps about arguing no probable cause for a stop, or dismissing the charges outright via petition due to a lack of evidence since there are no field sobriety results. The sooner you start working with a lawyer, the more you can work on it.
It’s not easy to beat a DUI charge, and there’s no guarantee you will. But if you have a good lawyer and do things right, your odds of beating the charge increase exponentially.