In our last post, we talked about the massive financial consequences of a DUI. And in the post before that, we discussed the serious nature of a DUI charge, and how these offenses can leave the accused in a tough spot. Today, we want to give hope to those that are accused of this violation because there are indeed effective ways to defend yourself against the charges.
For example, let’s say that prior to being pulled over, the police officer that initiated the stop didn’t have probable cause. This could be a critical part of your defense. The police or the prosecution may have also botched their side of the investigation by failing to follow proper chain of custody of evidence, failing to properly administer a breath or blood test, or violating your rights in some other way.
There are also specific circumstances that may have been involved in your case that could work in your favor. As examples:
- You may have been trying to save someone who was in the middle of a medical emergency, and though you were drunk, it was the right thing to do to drive them to a hospital.
- You may have been forced to drive drunk by an associate or a stranger who threatened you with physical violence or another coercive threat.
- You may have been caught up in a tricky or illegal situation, such as being entrapped by the police or being involuntarily intoxicated (by a spiked drink).