Dui Arrest – Five Things Not To Do
You know you should have never gotten behind the wheel to begin with. Or maybe, you thought you were fine, and below the legal limit. But here are police lights behind you, you have the odor of alcohol on your breath, the officer is walking up to your window, and there’s nothing you can do about it now. If you are stopped or arrested for DUI, then there are five things that you need to know now that you should never do.
1. Don’t Freak out, and Don’t Admit to Anything
I often have people asking me about immediately start popping mints, Listerine breath strips, chewing gum, or even reaching under the seat for that flask that they’ve kept hidden for just this situation (so that the police can’t prove when the alcohol was consumed). Suffice to say that reaching around frantically in your car for anything, especially something shiny and metal as the officer approaches your vehicle is a good way to increase your chances of getting shot. Roll down all your windows, (this also airs out the car), turn on your interior lights, put your hands high on the steering wheel, and don’t get out of the car.
Now is also not the time to go into detail about what you had to drink and about how you’re fine. Because the Fifth Amendment protects you from self-incrimination, you have the right to refrain from answering any and all questions that the police officer asks you. This means that you do not have to tell the officer how many drinks you had. If you do not say anything, the officer can’t testify later in court that you were slurring when he pulled you over. Your refusal to speak cannot be held against you, so do what any judge or lawyer would advise you to do – politely refuse to answer any questions, and tell the police that a lawyer told you not to answer any questions (since you are reading this, this is now true).
2. Don’t do the Field Sobriety Tests (FSTs).
In California, the FSTs are optional, and voluntary. They are designed to give the police evidence to support probable cause that you were under the influence, and can be refused without any consequence. Field sobriety tests include the walk and turn test, the horizontal gaze nystagmus (follow a pen, flashlight, finger with your eyes), the one leg stand, finger to nose, etc. However, make sure that you are aware that under California law, there are consequences for refusing an evidentiary test – that is, a Breath or Blood test. The consequence is that you could lose your license for one year on a first time refusal. So, the best thing to do is to politely refuse the field sobriety tests, and request a breath or blood test at the station, which gives you more time to burn off alcohol.
3. Don’t Miss Your Court Date
Before you’re released from the custody of the police, you will be given a court date. Do not ever miss a court date, period. Not only will it void your bond agreement, you will have a warrant for your arrest. Many times, the fines are considerably higher for those that miss court dates, since there is a failure to appear criminal charge tacked on. It also does not put the judge in the best of moods. Keep your court dates to avoid adding these problems to your case.
4. Don’t Assume you Must Plead Guilty.
There are many defenses to DUI cases, including defenses specific to breath testing or blood testing. Make sure you go over your defenses during a free consultation with a DUI Specialist, to see if, and how, your DUI case can be dismissed, or reduced to a different charge that can end up saving thousands in points, fines and fees, and save a criminal record. After you plead guilty, it’s too late.
5. Don’t Defend Yourself
You may be considering defending yourself in court, but that is never, ever, a good idea. You’ve heard the saying, “a person who defends himself has a fool for a client!” You need an aggressive, experienced attorney who is familiar with the law, and the court where your case is in. Trying to tackle something as complex as DUI by yourself is truly unadvised.
If your case is in Orange County, you should strongly consider consulting with one of the best Orange County DUI Lawyers in the area, and get advice from a DUI Specialist Orange County, to save your license and stay out of jail.
Celebrities Who Have Been Arrested For DUI
Drinking and driving is not only illegal, but it is dangerous and can result in the loss of lives, even your own. Because of their public visibility, there have been a number of celebrities who have been in the news for being arrested for a DUI. (Driving Under the Influence) Below is a list of celebrities who have been arrested for DUI:
Richie Sambora: Bon Jovi guitarist, Richie Sambora, was arrested for drunk driving in Laguna Beach, California on March 25 2008. His BAC was reportedly .13%. His daughter and another child were in the car at the time of the arrest. Sambora and Prosecutors made a deal that called for Sambora to plead no contest to driving with blood alcohol content above the legal limit. In exchange the district attorney dropped the more serious charge of California DUI. Sambora also was ordered to complete a three month alcohol awareness class and pay court fees.
Stephanie Pratt: One of the star’s of the MTV reality show, ‘The Hills,’ Stephanie Pratt was arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles on October 18, 2009. She was pulled over in Hollywood about 3:45 am and booked for suspicion of California DUI. She posted 00 bond and was released on Sunday.
Charles Barkley: Former NBA player Charles Barkley was arrested for DUI in Gilbert Arizona on December 31, 2008. Barkley was stopped by police for running a red light in Old Town Scottsdale. His blood alcohol content was reportedly .149%. Barkley pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 days in jail; however, five of those days will be suspended if Barkley completes an alcohol treatment program. He was also fined more than ,000. Barkley was a member of the Phoenix Suns in the NBA and is at present, a sports analyst for TNT.
Chad Kroeger: Nickelback band lead singer Chad Kroeger was arrested in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in June 2006 for DUI. Kroeger was stopped for speeding in his Lamborghini. The officers detected alcohol and administered a breathalyzer test. Kroger’s blood alcohol level registered .14% and he was charged with drunk driving. He lost his driver’s license for one year and was fined 0.
Mel Gibson: On July 28, 2006, actor and film producer Mel Gibson was arrested in Malibu California for driving under the influence. Gibson entered a no contest plea to the CA DUI charges. He was sentenced to three years probation and fined ,300. He also had his license suspended for 90 days and was ordered to enroll in an alcohol abuse program and attend Alcoholic Anonymous meetings.
Khloe Kardashian: Reality television show star Khloe Kardashian, star of ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians,’ was arrested in 2007 for driving under the influence in California. Kardashian was sentenced to 36 months of probation and was required to complete community service and attend alcohol education classes. Because she failed to do both, Kardashian was sentenced to 30 days in jail, but only spent five hours incarcerated due to overcrowding in the jail. Khloe Kardashian was also on the television show, ‘The Celebrity Apprentice.’
It is important not to follow the example of celebrities who drink and drive. You could receive a big fine, lose, your license, and possibly go to jail. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Traffic Safety Data, “In 2008, an estimated 11,773 people died in drunken driving related crashes.”
DUI – Arrest Of Some Celebrities
Celebrities are people known in the society. Their lives have no privacy while they are becoming more and more popular in their show business careers. Numerous fans all across the globe are admiring them for their own talent, charm and of course beauty. As what I said earlier, there are just few things private in their lives and a lot of happenings could possibly be known in the public. We have heard for these years that there are some celebrities were arrested because of DUI. They have names in the society but this factor is not considerable to exempt them from facing the consequences of driving under the influence. Here below are some list of celebrities and popular show business icons who are charged of DUI:
Richie Sambora
If you are fanatic of music, you can surely recognize this good-looking and talented man. He was appointed by Bon Jovi to be a his lead guitarist. He was also guitarist in the band “Message” which gave him an opportunity to release an record with the same name of the band and “Lessons” in the year 2000. As he worked with Bon Jovi, his career became more and more successful. Along his success was a trial on life as he was arrested of ZDUI. He was with his girlfriend and 10-year old daughter in Laguna Beach, California that time.
Mel Gibson
This multi-talented Hollywood celebrity is one of every woman’s dream men. Mel Gibson has something that make him to be a “star quality”. He an action star is some of the famous movies like “Lethal Weapon”, a dramatic role in “Hamlet” and he has really proven his talent of being a comedian in “What Women Want”. He is indeed a talented and great actor. Last July 28, 2006, Mel Gibson was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was stopped on pacific Coast Highway about two in the morning. As he took a test, his blood alcohol content reached to .12% which proved that he was drunk that time (the limit must only be at .08% ). Plus, the officer found out a container of Tequila beside him and Gibson was saying some bad words to the officer. He was released at nine in the morning because of the bail.
Charles Barkley
His full name is Charles Wade Barkley. He is a former American professional basketball player and called as “Sir Charles”. He was also known as “The Round Mound of Rebound”. He was a very popular basketball stars and became famous all over the United States. He is considered as one of the most valuable players or MVP . Barkley had brought pride to his land by being one of the members who competed internationally. Along his popularity is some controversy like involving in some fights and DUI arrest in Arizona.
Lindsay Lohan
Who could never know this charming lady who is known to be a singer, an actress and a model? Her talent was developed whe she was still in a young age. She hit the attention of her fans in her film ‘The Parent Trap”. There are lot more projects offered to her that made her name in the top of celebrity list. Well, because of her popularity, her two-time DUI arrest is also known in the public.