Arizona is tough on DUI, DWI and Extreme DUI cases. If you have been arrested on suspicion of DUI in Phoenix or elsewhere in Arizona, you need experienced legal help. Call us at 602-307-0808 24 hours per day and seven days per week for a FREE Consultation.
Do’s and Don’ts When You Are Stopped for DUI in Arizona
If Stopped for DUI, DWI or Extreme DUI in Arizona, remember these important do’s and don’ts:
DUI DO’S:
* Be respectful to the officer while saying as little as possible.
Be respectful and courteous when pulled over. But say as little as you must and do not admit to anything.
When the officer asks you if you have been drinking, answer this question with another question to avoid incriminating yourself. Answer him by saying, “Would you like to see my license,” or “Why do you ask?”
Admit nothing about having had any alcohol or drugs. You are not required to provide any information to the officer, beyond your driver’s license.
* Have your driver’s license, registration and insurance ready to provide to the officer.
Keep your driver’s license in your wallet and your insurance card and registration in your glove box or center console. You need these to be readily accessible. You should not spend time sifting through glove box items or searching for these documents.
* Turn on your dome light and keep both hands on your steering wheel, where the law enforcement officer can see them.
These things keep the officer at ease and make the entire situation easier for everyone involved.
* If you are being accused of DUI, ask to speak with an Arizona DUI lawyer immediately.
Call DM Cantor immediately at 602-307-0808.
If you are being accused of DUI, ask for release to obtain an independent blood test from a hospital.
DUI DON’TS:
* Do NOT admit anything, answer questions or consent to being videotaped.
Police investigate DUI based on reasonable suspicion that you are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This suspicion comes from you having bloodshot eyes, slurring speech, smelling of alcohol or lacking coordination. The officer makes the decision to investigate at the window of your vehicle. From that decision forward, everything involves gathering evidence against you. So you need to minimize the amount of evidence the officer gathers before arrest.
* Do NOT take coordination or eye tests.
Roadside exercises or coordination tests are part of the officer’s evidence gathering. Even if the officer asks you to perform roadside tests, you are not at risk of penalty for refusing to do so. The only reason you are given these tests is for the officer to have legal justification for requiring you to take a breathalyzer, blood or urine test. No one passes roadside sobriety tests, so do not take one.
* Do NOT try talking your way out of DUI.
Many police officers exert their control or ego during traffic stops. They use their training to control every citizen interaction, toward two purposes:
- Public safety and their own safety
- Evidence gathering
To achieve these goals, they bark commands, give instructions and expect your compliance. Do not try to use a friend on the force for a favor or drop names to keep the officer from proceeding. It will only make your situation worse.
* Do NOT take the breath test.
Most people underestimate how much alcohol they have had in the course of one day or night. You did not measure every drink before drinking it. Maybe you lost count. Breath tests are also notoriously full of errors, failures and maintenance problems. So do not gamble with your freedom by submitting to a breath test. Remember that refusing this test means you likely suffer an administrative license suspension. Call your DUI lawyer right away at 602-307-0808.
* Do NOT drive impaired.
The best way to avoid a DUI situation is to not drive drunk. It is that simple. Driving drunk means you risk hurting yourself or others. You also do not want to be arrested, lose your license, pay substantial fines, suffer high insurance premiums or lose your job as a result of DUI, either.
*These do’s and don’ts apply to most, but not all situations.
Click here… if you have not been charged with a DUI yet, but the police are in the “pre-charge investigation stage” of your case.
We are an AV® rated law firm (the highest possible rating by Martindale Hubbell®). Also David Michael Cantor is a DUI lawyer in Arizona, and a Certified Criminal Law Specialist, per the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization. In addition, the Firm and all of its lawyers are listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers®. At DM Cantor, the majority of our Attorneys are ex-Prosecutors, and all of our DUI Lawyers in Arizona know the system well.
