Five Things to Do After a DUI Arrest
Drunk driving is a criminal offense that you can be arrested for. In case you are driving while drunk, you are endangering your life and those of other road users. A DUI attorney in Chicago will tell you that a DUI can hurt your license, your wallet, and your future.
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What to Do After You Get Arrested for DUI
The things you do or say after they arrest you can help you or get you into more trouble. It would be best to exercise your right to keep silent if you are unsure of what you are saying. The way you behave and handle yourself when arrested by the officers is also critical. You should know that a DUI case is a severe crime, and complying with the police can be helpful.
You may be tense and panic once the police pull you over and ask you to take a sobriety test. However, it is vital that you remain calm and cooperative. Read on to understand five things to do after you get arrested for DUI.
1. Cooperate with the Officers
If you go against the police’s directions and instructions, you may end up adding more charges to your record. However, when you are drunk, you may find it hard to comply with the police because alcohol impairs your thinking. But you should try as much as you can to be cooperative to avoid more trouble.
2. Record Everything You Remember
Alcohol may affect your memory, and you may forget things shortly after the arrest. It is advisable that immediately after the officers arrest you for DUI, take notes of everything you remember. Every detail will matter in your case, so write down everything, no matter how small it may look. You can win your case if you have details, and it is possible to lose a case if you lack them.
3. Hire a Competent DUI Lawyer
Hiring a competent attorney to advise and represent you is always the best course of action you can take. It will be very stressful to defend yourself in court if you do not understand the law well. You need to hire a professional lawyer who sufficiently understands the law to help you navigate your case.
You will also need to be open and honest with your lawyer, giving him all the details about your case. With full information about your case, a lawyer will know what to do, and how and when to do it. Allow your attorney to negotiate a plea bargain for you.
4. Watch What You Say
It will be prudent to watch every word you say because, as the old phrase goes, “anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.” It is wise to make use of your right to keep silent. If you are not sure of what you are saying, instead of contradicting yourself, remain silent.
5. Stay off Social Media
If the police arrest you for DUI, it will help if you privatize your online profiles. The court and your defendants can use anything you post on social media against you. Keeping off social media will be best for you because you don’t know what will be used against you. Do not ruin your case by posting anything on social media.
Be Well Informed
If you have been arrested for DUI, you need to know what to do to avoid more trouble. Be careful, as you can commit many other offenses in the process and make your case even more complex.
Author: Annabelle E.
