Travis County DWI – What To Do?
When it comes to having a few enjoyable drinks with a group of friends, this is an activity that can quickly turn into a situation that can result in a life-changing conviction if you are stopped for a DWI. In the event that you find yourself in this type of situation, it’s extremely important that you are fully aware of what to do in order to avoid getting yourself into more serious trouble.
Here are three of the most useful tips that you should always follow in the event that you are ever stopped for a DWI.
Pull Over Immediately
First and foremost, perhaps one of the most useful tips to follow if you are ever stopped for a DWI is to pull over immediately. This means that whenever a police officer is behind you and they turn their lights on, you will need to pull over as soon as you locate a safe place to do so, no matter what. Under no circumstances should you ever make any attempt to run form the police in order to avoid being stopped by them. Simply slow down the immediately turn on your turn signal, which will let the officer know that you are complying with their order. If you are unable to find a safe location to pull over, such as a parking lot, simply pull over to the shoulder of the road that you’re currently driving on.
State That You Don’t Know Why You Were Pulled Over
Another useful tip to follow in the event that you’re ever stopped for a DWI is to let the officer know that you do not know why you were pulled over. Oftentimes, one of the first questions that an officer will ask is if you know why you were pulled over. Your answer to this question, no matter what, should always be “no, sir/ma’am,” even if you believe you may know why you were pulled over. When it comes to cases involving DWI, the state must be able to prove that the officer had justifiable suspicion for actually initiating the stop to begin with. In other words, the officer will need to have personally witnessed you doing something that justified them pulling you over.
Know Your Rights About Tests
One other useful tip to follow if you ever find yourself pulled over for a DWI in Travis County, is best to keep in mind that you are not legally required to take any tests or provide any non-requested information. An officer may request that you take part in field sobriety testing based on your specific responses to their questions, as well as their own observations. You will also need to remember that you will more than likely be recorded on both the officer’s dashboard camera and body camera, so it’s always a good idea to be polite no matter what. Simply let the officer know that you aren’t sure what you should do and that you think it would be a better idea if you spoke to your attorney prior to taking any field sobriety testing, as well as letting them know that you respect the fact that they are doing their job and that you aren’t making any attempt to be difficult whatsoever. Furthermore, whenever the officer requests your driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance, you are obligated to provide this information to them, but not any additional information that they have not requested.
Contact Gabriella Young for any legal troubles and schedule a free consultation today!