No one drives around the Phoenix metro area hoping to get pulled over by a police officer. But if you drive long enough, it is likely at some point that you will see a police car behind you light up and signal you to stop.
If this happens to you and you are arrested for drunk driving, one of the first things you’ll do is to speak with an attorney about the circumstances of the traffic stop, the evidence and the possible DUI defenses available to you.
One of the most common drunk driving defenses is to argue to the court that you were improperly pulled over and that the officer lacked reasonable articulatable suspicion to make that initial stop or for your arrest.
For instance, if you made an unusually wide turn in an intersection and changed lanes repeatedly, your unusual driving behavior might well be sufficient in establishing reasonable suspicion for the traffic stop, but it would not be probable cause to justify your arrest for drunk driving.
Probable cause can be established with a field sobriety test, for instance, or with a breath or blood test.
Another possible DUI defense rests on the blood or breath test. If the test was improperly administered or if the officer was not properly trained in how to administer the test or the test was conducted with a flawed testing device, your attorney might well be able to get your drunk driving charge dismissed.
Other effective DUI defenses might be available to you, depending on the circumstances of your arrest. Speak to a qualified DUI defense attorney about your options.
