If you’ve been arrested for a Florida DUI, an attorney may be able to help combat your charges in several different ways. It’s the sad fact of the system that those who are arrested for a DUI are assumed guilty, no matter the circumstances, but a DUI lawyer who will faithfully defend your rights may be able to demonstrate that the prosecution hasn’t met its burden in proving your guilt.
After an arrest for a DUI inFort Lauderdale, reach out to a DUI law firm and speak with an attorney who has handled cases like yours and knows the common, but sometimes imperceptible, mistakes that police officers make in their arrests.
Improperly Administered or Unreliable Test Results
Your Florida DUI attorney may challenge your drunk driving charges on the grounds that the arresting officer improperly administered your test when he or she suspected that you were under the influence. Traditionally, police officers will oblige stopped drivers to perform a number of field sobriety exercises, many of which are designed to fail or are reliable only in two-thirds of DUI cases.
Additionally, if your chemical blood alcohol test wasn’t conducted according to procedure, the results may be thrown out, and if the prosecution relied largely on that chemical analysis to make its case, your defense will be strengthened sufficiently.
Illegal or Invalid DUI Stops
Another common basis for dismissing DUI charges is that the stop was invalid. A number of DUI cases come down to the legality of the traffic stop that precipitated your arrest. A police officer or law enforcement agent must have what’s called “probable cause” before he or she can pull you over.
This means that in order for a stop to be valid, the officer must provide a demonstrable, articulable and reasonable suspicion that you were in the midst of committing a traffic offense or some other crime, or that a crime had already been committed. If the officer cannot demonstrate that the stop was valid, then your charges may be thrown out.
Using the Police’s Video Footage to Counter the DUI Charges Against You
In some cases, your attorney will be able to obtain the videos from the squad car driven by the police officer who pulled you over. These cameras videotape traffic stops, so if the arresting officer alleged that you were driving recklessly, weaving in and out of multiple lanes of traffic, or had a broken tail light, your lawyer can cross-reference those facts against the tape.
If it turns out that the statements made by the arresting officer are incorrect or baseless, you may be able to beat the charges by showing that the officer’s testimony and the squad car’s video evidence don’t add up.
If you’ve been arrested for a Florida DUI, don’t delay. Reach out to a DUI law firm inSouth Floridaand speak with an attorney who can help investigate your case, collect evidence, compile an argument for your defense, oblige the prosecution to meet the burden of proof in demonstrating its case against you, and fight for your rights under the law.
If you are arrested for a DUI in Fort Lauderdale, your legal team is your best defense. The defense team you choose to represent you in court, defend your rights, and relentlessly pursue your case could be the difference between jail time and getting on with your life. Contact a Florida DUI defense attorney team at Falk & Ross for a no-cost evaluation of your case – 1-877-663-5110.