Being arrested and charged with drunk driving can be a truly terrifying experience. It can leave you in a state of shock and disorientation. That is what it is supposed to do. The prosecutorial system is designed to intimidate you; it is designed to strike fear into your heart and make you say and do things that may not be in your interests.
Do not give into this feeling. Remember that you have rights, and that the governing principle of law in this country is innocent until proven guilty. If you have been arrested, say nothing until you have spoken with a drunk driving accident lawyer columbus ga.
Your Right To Remain Silent
When the arresting officer tells you that you have the right to remain silent, they are not just uttering meaningless words. The fact of the matter is that you do not have to say anything to the authorities. And indeed you should say nothing until you have consulted with an attorney.
Police and prosecutors are out to make a conviction. The number of convictions is how they measure their success and advance their careers. It is not in their interests to find the truth; it is in their interests to convict the person who they have in custody. In their eyes, you are guilty until proven innocent. They will tell you that matters will go easy for you if you cooperate, which is their word for turning in evidence against yourself.
You should not fall for this. Keeping silent until you have had a chance to speak to an attorney is the best way to avoid saying something that can be used against you.
Challenging The Authorities
If you are innocent of drunk driving, your attorney will stop at nothing to exonerate you and get you home as soon as possible. The authorities may claim that they have an air-tight case against you, but they really have nothing if you have not given them any physical evidence of drunkenness.
Police often get drunk driving stops and arrests wrong. They go off hunches or other biased, subject bases to pull people over and haul them in. Such so-called evidence is easy to challenge and discredit. Your attorney will have the knowledge, insight, and experience to critically analyze and refute whatever claims are made by the police who arrested you.
A Just Outcome
If you are not in a position to deny driving while drunk, you still need an attorney. You don’t want to be the victim of a prosecutor trying to make a name for themselves or other officials on a crusade to make an example out of intoxicated drivers. You made a mistake. You should not be subjected to overly hard penalties for it. Indeed, the penalties for drunk driving can be stiff. You can be made to pay a heavy fine, lose your license, and even be sent to prison.
It is important to have a lawyer negotiate on your behalf. It is the only way to get a just outcome.
