Each year, many otherwise law-abiding citizens find themselves charged with driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol. If they plead guilty or are convicted, that one slip-up will result in serious consequences for them, including a criminal record.
If the police charge you with drunk driving, you should examine the defense options available to you, including the following. Doing so can potentially help you to avoid these life-altering consequences.
Casting doubt on the veracity of the test results
The police likely had you take a breath test to give themselves a solid basis on which for prosecutors to charge you. While these tests are reasonably accurate, they are certainly not infallible and even a small difference in the reading could mean the difference between no consequences and a criminal record. Trying to show that the police did not administer a test properly or had not maintained and calibrated the equipment correctly is one defense to investigate.
Claiming the police did not have proper grounds to stop you
The police need a reason to pull you over in the first place. They don’t need to suspect you are drunk driving but they do need to believe you have broken the law in some way or other. It could be they see you weaving across the road and think you are drunk. It could be they believe your tail light is broken. Or it might be your vehicle matches the description of one reported for a hold-up at the local gas station. If their reason was flimsy or unfounded you might be able to argue that the stop was invalid.
Those are just two of the many DUI defense options to consider. Appropriate legal guidance can help you discover more.