There is no guarantee that following these tips will ensure an innocent verdict. But, these steps can help prepare you for your case and put you in the best position to win. To learn more about the DUI process and what you can do to help yourself after a DUI arrest, read on!
If you face a DUI arrest, you might be released the same day as your arrest. But, you also might be held overnight in a cell. Staying in jail means there is a chance that you will have to pay a bond for release. A bail hearing will be held in which your bond fee will be determined. Bond is determined based on the severity of your case.
If your actions resulted in major damage to property or serious personal injury, bail will be higher. If there was no damage that prompted your DUI arrest, bail will be lower. You can have a friend, family member, or bail bondsman pay bail for you, or you can pay it yourself.
If there was someone else in the car with you at the time of your DUI arrest, the police may have instructed that person to drive your car home for you. However, if you’ve been arrested, your car may have been driven to the police station or impounded. If your car is impounded, you will have to find it and pay a fee to get it back. Remember that your license might already be suspended due to your arrest. So, you will need someone else to drive your car home for you.
As soon as you can after a DUI arrest, write down everything that happened. Establish as many details as possible. DUI cases can drag on for months and months. By the time a trial rolls around, you might be fuzzy on the specifics of what happened. The prosecutor may try to trip you up and take advantage of memories that have faded over the months.
In this situation, it will be helpful to have an accurate record of what happened. Write down as much as you remember as soon as you can.
As much as you might want to keep a DUI arrest a secret, you might not be able to. Some companies have policies that if you get arrested, you need to inform your employer. This might especially be the case if your job requires you to drive, and you face a license suspension for a criminal charge. Review your company’s policy and determine how to proceed.
Your license will be suspended when you are arrested for a DUI. It is important to be proactive and determine how you will drive to work, school, or other places that you need to go before your court hearing or DMV hearing. Do research on the public transportation system in your area, look into ride shares at work, and ask friends and family members if and when they would be available to bring you where you need to go.
You need to build a solid defense for yourself that you can present in court. In order to do so, it might be helpful to write down everything that you remember from the night of your arrest. Make note of what you ate that night, what you had to drink, and when you ate or drank. Then list a detailed account of the arrest process.
Consider factors that could have impacted your driving that are not related to drugs or alcohol – for example, was it snowing or icy that night? If the road conditions were poor, this may have impacted your driving. Do you wear glasses or contacts, but forgot them on the night of your arrest? Again, this could have effected your driving.
Also consider if the field sobriety tests you were asked to take were administered properly. Once you consider these factors on your own, you might want to consider hiring a DUI lawyer. Such a lawyer can help you sort through the facts of your case and present them in the best way before a judge.
Even if you are not ready to spend the money on hiring a lawyer, many lawyers offer free consultations in which you can meet and discuss your case. These consultations have no strings attached, and you can get your questions answered and advice regarding your case without the pressure of retaining the lawyer. A lawyer can review the specifics of your case and give you advice on how to proceed. Make sure you bring any related documents to your consultation and explain to the lawyer exactly what happened on the night of your arrest.
There are things that you can do to prepare your case and fight a DUI charge. To discuss your situation with a lawyer, feel free to contact me here.
Get your free copy of Teresa's eBook on surviving a Connecticut DUI. Delivered right to your inbox.