Mistakes to Avoid After Your DUI Arrest in Jacksonville

By Travis Reinhold | Published on September 27, 2011 | 0 Comments

A DUI arrest in Jacksonville can be a frightening and overwhelming experience for anyone, especially someone who’s never encountered a problem with the law before. You might feel like you’re in a bad dream or TV drama as you’re read your rights, handcuffed, and placed in the back of a police car. Making matters worse, you’re likely intoxicated and therefore not completely “all there”.

While the stress of the situation may seem almost too much to handle, in order to protect your future and your rights, it’s important to handle yourself in a way that will serve your best interests. The situation is already a bad one, and any mistakes you make before, during, or after your arrest will likely come back to haunt you and your Jacksonville DUI lawyer during trial or meetings with the prosecutor.

One of the most common mistakes could take place even before you’re placed under arrest is agreeing to field sobriety tests when you know you’re likely to fail them. While the refusal to participate in them could carry consequences as well, an obvious fail on one of those tests could result in an opportunity for a police officer to provide a very damaging account of the incident at trial.

What is another serious and very common mistake people make after a DUI arrest? Trying to explain themselves and the situation to the arresting officers. While it may be tempting to try to convince the police of your innocence, or the unique situation that led to your arrest, it’s best to remain silent until you speak with your DUI lawyer in Jacksonville. Being under the influence, and the immense stress of having just been arrested, could cause your communication to be less clear and effective. Anything you say can easily be taken out of context and used against you at trial.

“You should absolutely exercise your right to silence, 100%. When speaking with police officers after an arrest, it’s far too easy to dig the hole deeper,” says Travis Reinhold of the Law Office of Travis Reinhold, P.A., a Jacksonville DUI lawyer with over nine years of experience.

Waiting to contact a Jacksonville DUI lawyer is another mistake that could put you at a serious disadvantage in fighting your case. DUI law is complicated and not quite “user-friendly” for those with no legal background. Going into your first court appearance without the counsel of a Jacksonville DUI lawyer could mean getting pressured into agreeing to a plea deal that could carry damaging consequences you’re unaware of like forfeiting opportunities to get your case dismissed.

“Time is of the essence with DUI cases, and many people simply aren’t aware of what waiting to act could cost them. A lot of people plead “no contest” after being intimidated or falsely informed, only to realize there were circumstances that could have been contested. Also, you only have 10 days to request a formal review, which might be your only chance to get a police officer deposed about your case under oath. These and other opportunities are gone if you wait too long, and fighting to recapture them can be a long and difficult process,” explains Reinhold.

*Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. You should not rely on this article as a legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances, and you should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. Publication of this article and your receipt of this article does not create an attorney-client relationship.

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