During a DUI arrest, the actions you take could have an enormous impact on your outcome. Knowing the mistakes to avoid following a West Palm Beach DUI could result in a better outcome in your case.
If you are arrested and charged with a DUI, you should reach out to the legal team at Leifert & Leifert as soon as possible. Our attorneys could look at the circumstances of your arrest and use the facts to poke holes in the Prosecution’s case. Give us a call today to set up a free consultation.
Roadside Sobriety Tests
Some of the biggest mistakes to avoid following a West Palm Beach DUI occur on the side of the road when someone is being investigated and interrogated by a Police Officer. You do not have to perform any physical test. During a DUI stop, you can refuse to:
- Say the alphabet
- Walk heel to toe on a line
- Touch your finger to your nose
- Stand on one leg
There are implications to refusing field sobriety tests, but it can be a mistake to perform them. Those tasks are not designed for you, you have probably never practiced them, and people have individual abilities or disabilities whether they have something to drink or not. By performing those tasks, you are more likely than not providing evidence of guilt or suspicion of guilt to the officer because you will not do the tests perfectly.
Imagine being in a situation where are lights flashing all around, two or three cops are surrounding you, and your friends and neighbors are driving by. It is not a great place to perform. If a police officer asks you to perform field sobriety tests, you have the right to say no. The tests are all voluntary, and police cannot make you do them.
Right to Remain Silent in West Palm Beach
Another mistake to avoid following a West Palm Beach DUI is not exercising your right to remain silent. You do not have to answer questions to Law Enforcement as far as how much you have had to drink, what you have had to drink, who you are with, or any other questions.
If you are pulled over for a DUI, do not give yourself up, do not admit you are impaired and do not do things that are going to make it easy for the government to prove you are impaired. Say as little as possible and do as little as possible so there is less evidence that can be used against you.
Breath Tests
Taking a breath test is one of the biggest mistakes to avoid following a West Palm Beach DUI unless you know you had literally nothing to drink. If you do not know how high you are going to blow, do not blow. It is not wise to trust an instrument that is in the care and custody of Law Enforcement to give an accurate and reliable result.
Advice from an Experienced DUI Attorney
In a DUI, you are being prosecuted because a law enforcement officer has the opinion that you are too impaired to drive under Florida law. Do not give them more facts to strengthen or validate their opinion. The biggest mistakes to avoid following a West Palm Beach DUI include being too nice, too cooperative, giving yourself up, and making it easier for Law Enforcement. As DUI lawyers, we want to see less evidence because it gives us more ammunition to challenge the Prosecution in Court.
Regardless of the circumstances of your arrest, you should reach out to the veteran defense attorneys at Leifert & Leifert. Our team has years of experience defending individuals from DUI charges and we could put that experience to work for you. Call us today to schedule a free case review.
