6 Mistakes to Avoid Making during a DUI Stop/Arrest (Part 2)

Continuing from 6 Mistakes to Avoid Making during a DUI Stop/Arrest (Part 1), here we will discuss two more common missteps people make when they have been stopped or arrested for drunk driving.

By doing your best to avoid making these mistakes during or after a DUI arrest, you can effectively protect your rights and start building yourself a strong defense from the get go. For additional help building a strong defense if you are officially charged with DUI, be sure to contact the experienced St. Louis DUI defense attorneys at Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law.

1. Lying to police – This is an all-too-common and yet entirely unnecessary mistake people make when dealing with police during DUI stops. Oftentimes, people will lie about where they are going, whether they have been drinking or possibly even their identifying information (if, for instance, they don’t have a valid driver’s license or they have a warrant out for their arrest).If you find yourself facing questions that you do not want to answer, you have the right to remain silent – like your Miranda rights explain. In fact, the only piece of information that you absolutely have to tell police is your full legal name. Aside from that, you can remain silent and assert your Fifth Amendment right. Doing this is always preferable to lying to police, as lying will destroy your credibility if you are later in court (and, in some cases, could lead to additional criminal charges being filed against you).
2. Resisting arrest – When cops have decided that they have enough evidence to preliminarily charge you with DUI (or possibly even some other crime), they will usually arrest you. At this point, your automatic reaction may be to resist arrest because, obviously, you don’t want to be arrested.However, it’s crucial that you do NOT fight being arrested, as resisting at this point is not only futile but it is detrimental to your situation. While police can file resisting arrest charges against you in addition to DUI charges, the fact that you resisted arrest (even if these charges are later dropped) can be used by prosecutors to try to make you look guilty later in court.

Be sure to check out the upcoming final installment of this blog for some additional information regarding what you can do during and after a DUI stop in order to protect your rights.

St. Louis DUI Defense Lawyers at Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law

Have you or a loved one been arrested for or charged with DUI? If so, contact the St. Louis DUI defense lawyers at Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law. We have a long-standing commitment to serving our clients, and we are experienced at aggressively defending our clients’ rights in any legal setting.

Our goal is to preserve and promote the rights and welfare of individuals who need help navigating the complexities of the court system in order to help them get the DUI charges against them reduced or, when possible, dismissed entirely.

Contact Us for a Free Initial Consult

For a free initial consult, email us using the form at the right-hand side of the screen and/or to call us at 573-333-3333 for our Missouri office or at 618-888-8888 for our Illinois office.