Driving under the influence refers to any intoxicating substance, whether that be alcohol, prescription pills, marijuana, or illegal drugs. Just because a substance is legal in the state of Connecticut, or just because you have a prescription for it, does not mean that you should drive if you are impaired by the substance. For this reason, you can arrested for driving under the influence of drugs in Connecticut. While some elements of a Norwich drug DUI are similar to that of an alcohol DUI, others are different. You can learn more about the similarities and differences here.
Most people are charged with DUI because they are not following the rules of the road and therefore the police pull them over. If you are violating traffic laws in any way, the police have the right to stop you. Sometimes once you have been stopped, the police suspect that you are under the influence and take further action against you.
Detection for alcohol vs. drug impairment can be similar in some ways. Issues such as swerving on the road, driving too fast or too slow, driving at night without headlights on, failing to signal a turn, etc. are against the rules of the road and could result from impaired driving.
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However, determining if a driver is under the influence and what they are under the influence of can differ. If a police offer suspects that you are driving under the influence of alcohol, they will likely ask you to take standardized field sobriety tests and a breath test. However, these tests would not detect drugs in a person’s system. The standardized field sobriety tests only apply to alcohol impairment, and a person may pass a breath test but still have drugs in their system.
If a police officer suspects a driver to be under the influence of drugs, they will likely contact a drug recognition expert to further determine the situation. They may also request a blood or urine test, as drugs usually show up in these tests as opposed to breath tests.
If you are suspected of driving under the influence, the police will make an arrest based on probable cause. The court process that you go through whether it is a drug or alcohol DUI is the same. You will be processed at a police station, attend an arraignment to see if you can post bail and get out of jail while your case is pending, and start building your case. You may have an opportunity to negotiate your case and penalties with the prosecutor. If you are not satisfied with the offer you get, you can take your case to trial. The penalties that you face will also be the same whether you are dealing with a drug DUI or alcohol DUI.
All of this will be the same whether you are charged with Norwich drug DUI or alcohol DUI. However, the potential defense available to you will likely be different. For this reason, you should make sure to hire a lawyer who has defended against drug DUIs in the past. The best defenses for you may not be the ones commonly used in alcohol DUI cases and you need a lawyer who is familiar with the ways in which drug DUI cases differ from alcohol DUI cases.
Our law firm is familiar with the Norwich drug DUI charge and are happy to help defend you at this time.
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