Police focusing on DUI in San Diego - Results in more intrusion into your freedom by checkpoints

February 20, 2014 (Press-News.org) Police focusing on DUI in San Diego - Results in more intrusion into your freedom by checkpoints

When a city begins to see a large number of crimes repeatedly occurring in a certain part of town, they will often consider steps that they should take to help prevent these things from happening in the future. They may increase police presence or devote more resources to making the community safer for all residents.

San Diego has recently experienced a number of serious car accidents caused by motorists who were allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. These accidents have led to concerns by officials that the city is not doing enough to remove impaired drivers from its streets, which may mean more DUI patrols in the region.

Police will be taking a much more aggressive approach toward DUI due to these accidents. Two separate sobriety checkpoints over the past month resulted in 26 DUI arrests at various points within the city. Motorists should expect to encounter more of these DUI roadblocks, especially at night on the weekends in high-traffic areas.

If motorists approach one of these checkpoints, it is important that they understand the procedures that law enforcement must follow. The officers will have a system in place that will allow them to investigate motorists for signs of impairment. If any evidence is uncovered, the officer may decide to request that the motorist move to a different location at the checkpoint so the investigation can be continued.

The police may request that the motorist perform sobriety checkpoints, which the individual does have the right to refuse. There may still be enough evidence for the officer to make an arrest, and this might lead to a request for the driver to submit to a blood or breath test to check for the presence of alcohol in the person's system. If the motorist refuses this test, he or she will lose driving privileges immediately due to California's implied consent laws.

If you have been charged with a DUI, you will probably not know what is going to happen. You may receive an explanation from police about the process, and they may use this as an opportunity to try to gain your trust. They hope that you will make statements about the events prior to the arrest which can be used against you.

You should contact an experienced criminal defense attorney to begin building a strong defense as soon as possible. Your attorney can offer you protection from the aggressive actions of police and prosecutors, and help you present your side of the story. These cases are often very difficult, and you need to know and understand the consequences that may result if you are convicted of the offense.

Another important thing to remember is that when you are stopped for a DUI, the question is not what your blood alcohol level is when you take the official breath or blood test, but what your blood alcohol level is at the time that you are driving. So, for a person who has just recently consumed alcohol before they jumped into their car to drive - the best thing to tell the officer is that, yes, I just finished drinking just moments before you stopped me.That way, when you take the official breath or blood test some hour or so later after you were driving, your blood alcohol level would have been lower at the time of driving.

An experience DUI criminal defense attorney has many "tricks" that can assist you in getting DUI charges dismissed, or in getting your penalties reduced. Don't wait - once arrested contact as soon as possible to begin planning your case defense and strategy!

Article provided by Law Office of William Daley
Visit us at www.lawofficeofwilliamdaley.com