If you or a loved one has been arrested for a DUI, you should immediately contact Orange County DUI attorney William Weinberg. You should not take being arrested for a DUI lightly as the consequences of being convicted of a DUI are severe and can change your life. A DUI arrest usually starts with a police officer pulling an individual after having probable cause that an individual driving a vehicle committed a traffic infraction, such as running a red light, running a stop sign, driving with a broken tail light, or driving erratically because the individual is under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Whatever the crime may be, the officer can pull you over and investigate further. Most clients that we have either run a red light, speeding, or aren't driving in their lane, and then they get pulled over, and the officer argues that he observes signs of intoxication and then proceeds to arrest an individual for drunk driving, marijuana DUI, or driving while under the influence of drugs. So, if you’ve been arrested for drunk driving, please contact Orange County DUI Lawyer William Weinberg to represent you in court and fight for you.
That said, for a police officer to arrest an individual for driving under the influence, an officer needs to have PC (probable cause) that the driver of the vehicle was operating his vehicle while intoxicated. An officer may base probable cause on observations he makes of the driver after the stop. For example, if the officer smells alcohol from the driver's breath, sees bloodshot watery eyes, sees the driver swerving and not able to stay in his lane, or observes slurred speech, hey may formulate the necessary probable cause to arrest the individual for driving while intoxicated.
Before arresting the driver for a DUI, an officer may ask the driver to complete roadside field sobriety tests, such as a breathalyzer or walking in a straight line. Although an individual is not required to and should not perform roadside tests, if an individual is arrested, he must complete the chemical tests at the police station.
If the officer formulates the necessary suspicion that you were intoxicated while operating your vehicle, he may arrest you and take you to jail. If your car is parked in a safe place, the officer may allow you to leave it there; if not, he will have your vehicle towed and impounded.
Once you've been taken to the police station, the officer may have you perform chemical tests that you must complete at the police station. If you refuse to complete the chemical tests at the police station, your drivers license will be suspended for a longer time, so if you're ordered to perform a chemical test at the police station, you must do so to avoid having your driver's license suspended for a more extended time period.
Most drivers who are arrested for drunk driving stay in jail for one night and are released the following day. If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being arrest for a DUI, please contact Orange County DUI Lawyer William Weinberg to defend you. Mr. Weinberg has invaluable experience defending those arrested for a DUI.
DUI Stops and InvestigationsMost DUI arrests begin the same way. Either an officer spots an individual breaking a traffic law, such as running a red light, speeding, or broken taillight or an officer is dispatched to the scene of an accidents, and when an officer arrives, he suspects that one of the parties involved in the accident is driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. An officer will then proceed to conduct an investigation to determine whether the driver was indeed driving while intoxicated. Some of the most common observations and things that are sighted are bloodshot or watery eyes. Thousands of police reports cite these two things as reasons why the officer believes the driver was under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs. Other common things police officers look for is the odor of alcohol and/or marijuana. If an officer suspects the driver of drunk driving or intoxicated driving, he will proceed to conduct field sobriety tests to use his observations as evidence against the driver.
What Happens After You're Released from a DUI Arrest?After an individual is released from a DUI arrest, he will be released without a driver's license. Usually, the police officer gives the driver a pink slip that serves as a temporary drivers license for 30 days. The license will have some information on it, instructing the driver to contact the DMV within ten days from the date of the arrest to schedule a DMV hearing. Scheduling a DMV hearing is imperative if a driver wants to keep his driver's license. So, if you've been arrested, contact the DMV and schedule your hearing or have your attorney do it for you. Do not take the DMV hearing for granted because if you lose at the hearing, your drivers license will be suspended pending the outcome of your case.
Contact an AttorneyIf you or a loved one has been arrested for a DUI, you should immediately contact Orange County DUI attorney William Weinberg and schedule your free consultation. Mr. Weinberg will listen to you and will come up with the best possible defense plan for your case. You can email Mr. Weinberg at bill@williamweinberg.com or call him at (949) 474-8008.