Driving drunk is bad news anywhere, but especially in California as law enforcement officials have been cracking down due to increases in DUIs. While some may see being stopped and charged with a DUI as a huge inconvenience (along with being extremely expensive), driving under the influence is a huge hazard on the roads, and could lead to catastrophic results such as fatalities and injuries like broken bones, spinal fractures, traumatic brain injuries, soft tissue injuries, paralysis, and more. Be relieved that you did not hurt anyone, if that is the case.
But you will have to deal with the DUI if you were pulled over and charged by local law enforcement This may be where your night careens out of control from fun and dinner (and drinks) with friends into nightmare status as a police officer smells alcohol on your breath and then requests that you begin taking tests. Usually, they will ask that you take a field sobriety test and/or a breathalyzer. You are completely within your rights to reuse to do so on both counts, but you will probably be arrested and taken to the police station and booked. This means your car is towed and impounded, and you may have to call a bail bondsman to post your bail and get you out so that you can finally go home and sleep in your own bed.
Refusals with law enforcement when it comes to the potential of a DUI usually won’t get you anywhere except to the police station for a blood test which may be so delayed that your blood alcohol content is a bit lower (with .08 being the current legal limit). You will probably be charged and will have your license suspended for up to a year and deal with all the same headaches. The DUI can be an extremely costly ordeal too, and you can find out more about this in our recent blog, ‘How Much is a First Offense DUI Going to Cost Me?” Your best bet is to avoid driving if you have had anything to drink at all, calling a taxi or an Uber. While that may seem like a pain at the time, it could save you the pain of hurting someone else in a drunk driving accident, or the expense of having to pay for all the expenses of a DUI.
If you have been arrested due to a DUI matter, please call the Dolan Law Offices now. We will listen carefully to your concerns, review your case, and offer advice based on many years of experience. John Patrick Dolan understands California’s complex criminal defense laws and our office will provide the experience you need to help you fight for your rights and best interests. Call us at (760) 775-3739 or contact us online as soon as possible.