Westminster DUI Lawyer
Summary: This page covers Charges for DUI in Westminster, Know Your Rights, Why you need an experienced attorney.
No matter what city you are in when arrested for driving under the influence, you need quality, reputable representation on your side. A DUI charge is serious and has immediate consequences regardless of whether or not you are convicted. To ensure you have the most options available to you – for example, making bail, a plea deal, or seeing your family – during this troubling time, call Ms. Johnson-Norris before talking to anyone.
A DUI conviction is a life-changing event. If you are employed, your employer may require you to disclose your conviction, and even your arrest. A conviction for drunk driving will also lead to driver’s license suspension, much higher auto insurance fees, and you will have fewer companies that will be willing to insure you as a driver. The worst consequence, however, is the suspension of your driver’s license; it is extremely inconvenient to lose your driving privilege.
Charges for DUI in Westminster
Westminster is a hotspot for checkpoints and DUI patrols. Westminster police have a long history of placing strategic checkpoints that intercept drunk drivers on their way home from Huntington Beach or a local nightclub. Once caught, drivers may be subjected to an ever-widening array of procedures, such as a field sobriety tests, a breath test, a blood test or a urine test. Although it may seem like you could pass any of these tests, they are actually administered to gather evidence against you.
Know Your Rights
Once you have safely stopped on the side of the road, it is your responsibility to provide the officer with the documents typically requested during a traffic stop: driver’s license, current copies of your vehicle’s registration and auto insurance policy. Then, the officer may ask you if you know why you were pulled over. This is an attempt to collect evidence in the form of a confession. If you respond, “Yes, I was speeding.” and that is the reason you were pulled over, you won’t have a chance to to fight the violation. Even if you know why you were pulled over, always respond, “No, why did you pull me over.” At this point, the officer should give you a reason for the traffic stop.
If the reason is related to you being a suspected of drunk driving, you must exit your vehicle when the officer asks. Usually an officer will attempt to conduct a field sobriety test consisting of asking you to walk heel to toe in a straight line, following his finger with your eyes, and balancing on one foot for a period of time. You have zero chance of “passing” this series of test. They are merely conducted to gather evidence against you. For this reason, you should refuse to take a field sobriety test. By doing this you are not admitting guilt, you’re simply refusing to allow the police to gather evidence that is subjective and full of confirmation bias.
No, just because you can refuse some evidence gathering tactics does not mean that you can refuse all of them. Since you have refused field sobriety tests, you must submit to either a Breathalyzer on scene, or return in the police care to the station to give a blood sample to determine your blood alcohol content.
Keep in mind that those who are arrested for DUI and have a BAC less than .08 can also be convicted.
Why you need an experienced attorney
DUI law is complicated and full of nuances and difficult to understand science. The experienced DUI attorney at the Johnson Criminal Law Group is well versed in Orange County DUI criminal proceedings and can help you get excellent results. Call her office today at (949) 622-5522.
