Police officers who conduct traffic stops are always looking for signs of intoxication. Therefore, even though you’re considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, police officers may deem you guilty just based on your behavior or speech patterns. As a result, you could end up facing DUI charges that threaten your freedom, your finances, your job, and your driving privileges.
Are There Innocent Reasons That Explain the Police’s Observations?
Remember, anything the police observe and anything you say can and likely will be used against you in a court of law. Therefore, police officers will take detailed notes of their interactions with you and use them to draft affidavits in support of charging you with drunk driving if they believe that they’re justified in doing so.
But even if a police officer’s observations seem damning, you might be able to explain them away with innocent justifications. For example, an officer may deem your slurred speech as indicative of intoxication, but many people who are stressed when interacting with the police can muddle their words. The same holds true for those who are excessively tired or fatigued. Glassy eyes can be attributable to allergies, and a physical injury may affect your ability to balance or walk in a straight line. A medical condition can even account for the smell of alcohol emanating from your body and a failed breathalyzer test.
What This Means for You
What this means is that you shouldn’t just give into prosecutors because the police made multiple observations that they deem indicative of intoxication. Instead, you should carefully analyze the facts of your case to determine if there are strong criminal defense options that are available to you. If you’d like assistance in assessing the facts of your case, then you may want to sit down with an experienced legal professional who has a track record of beating these kinds of charges.