Alcohol can be a truth serum in many ways, but while it lowers our inhibitions and makes us speak more honestly, it can also show another harsh truth that many of us will deny when we’re under the influence:
We always believe we can drive. Reality is always different.
We are all consciously aware that we drink at parties or after-hours from work, but once we have “just a couple” drinks in us, many of us tend to believe that we’re impervious to the effects of alcohol and that we are fine to get behind the wheel and drive. After all, chances are good that if we’re driving after drinking tonight, it means we probably didn’t get caught the last time we did this – so it can’t be a big deal, right?
If it is such a non-deal, why do some of us cry, panic or get defensively belligerent when we finally do get pulled over? Much of it is probably out of shame and embarrassment because we realize at that point that the alcohol revealed the truth to others but clouded our brains to hide the truth from ourselves.
Sometimes, we may make a simple DUI charge become much more through our belligerence or shame which might make us uncooperative – which can lead to more charges. Here are four quick tips to ensure that a DUI is all you’re facing from a prosecutor’s office.
- Remain calm and collected.
Shame and embarrassment are pretty normal when in these situations. The key here is to act like you would if you knew you were being pulled over for speeding. Assume that you knew you were driving drunk and that’s why the cop pulled you over. This way, you are more likely to remain calm and not fly off the handle or be belligerent. You need to be compliant with the officer’s requests.
Part of being compliant is acting like you know you did something wrong and you got caught, even if you aren’t exactly sure what you did wrong. Answer all the officer’s questions in the field, don’t filibuster, and follow through on all requests (providing license and registration, getting out of the car when asked, etc.). The more cooperative you are, the more likely that the officer may go easy on you with the situation in terms of charges and your detainment.
- Contact a lawyer.
As soon as you get back to the station – even if it’s just to spend the night to “dry out” – request a phone call to contact a good local DUI lawyer to help you with your case. Keep the call short, so be to the point – give your name, where you are being held, that you are being detained on suspicion of DUI. A good lawyer will be on call and available to advise you of your rights and will willingly represent you from that point forward.
- Let the lawyer speak.
Once you have contacted the lawyer, your cooperation may and should end. If any interrogation is attempted while you are at the station, you should not answer any more questions until your lawyer appears at the station to represent you, and he or she will do all the talking after that point. You do have the Miranda right to remain silent and to be represented by an attorney, so you owe it to yourself to take advantage of both of those rights.
