Gilbert DUI Attorneys

The flashing lights behind you in the dark. The fear and confusion as the officer keeps asking where you’ve been and what you’ve been doing. And finally the horror as you are told you’re being charged for drunk driving. How could this happen to you? You’re a normal, upstanding citizen who goes to work, pays taxes, and stays out of trouble.

This is the reaction that most people have to being told they will be facing a charge of driving under the influence. What does that mean? Will you have to go to jail? Are you going to lose your driver’s license? What about your job – do they have to know?

All most people want is the nightmare to be over so that they can get back to their normal lives and forget about this terrible situation, but sometimes that attitude is a mistake. It causes far too many people to simply take the punishment of a DUI conviction – even if they don’t think they actually deserve it. They feel forced into the decision because they don’t know how to fight a charge that’s backed up by both the arresting officer and the breathalyzer test they likely were forced to take.

But don’t act so hastily. Experienced Gibert DUI attorneys have helped many people beat DUI charges, and they may be able to help you as well.

How Did the Gilbert DUI Arrest Take Place?

Most law-abiding citizens aren’t thinking rationally after they’ve been pulled over by a police officer, so they’re not likely to notice if the cop doesn’t follow correct procedure and violates their rights. But if you work with a knowledgeable Gilbert DUI lawyer, one of the first things that they will do is ask for any arrest records – including video or audio recordings – so that they can pore over them for themselves and make sure that proper procedure was followed.

It’s also important for you to know that when a police officer pulls you over, the only information that you are required to give is your name and address. Don’t get caught up in answering a bunch of questions from the cop – even if they seem like they’re friendly – because officers are trained to look for crimes and get you to admit to wrongdoing. Seemingly innocuous questions can become evidence to use against you in court if it ever comes to that, so you want to exercise your right to remain silent and just let the cop do his or her job.

If they ask you to take a field sobriety test, refuse. There is no good reason for you to take this test, and a lot of bad can come from it. Because the results are decided by the subjective opinion of the officer, all you are doing is providing more ammunition for them to use against you on the case. Politely turn the officer down and if you are pushed, say that you want to speak to your lawyer.

The only other thing that you absolutely should agree to do is take the breathalyzer test. Because of Arizona’s implied consent laws, you have essentially agreed to take this test by getting behind the wheel of a car and driving in Arizona. If you refuse now, your license can be automatically suspended for a year – even if you are ultimately found innocent of the DUI charge!

How Can the Gilbert DUI Charge Be Fought?

In order to effectively fight DUI charges, you need a lawyer who not only understands how DUI law works, but also one who is familiar with local policies and people in Gilbert and can work with them to get the information you need to properly defend you and make sure that you receive the best possible outcome.

One of the biggest misconceptions around DUI law is that you are doomed if you test above the legal limit with a breathalyzer, but it’s not true. Breathalyzer results can be wrong because of poor storage, incorrect use, mistakes made in calibration, or simply because it doesn’t register differences in your body chemistry.

The most important thing is that you get a good Gilbert DUI attorney working on your case as soon as possible, because the longer they have to build your defense, the better your chances of success.