If the police arrest you for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, it can be a stressful situation. Because DUIs are heavy charges, you may wonder if you have any options after an arrest.
Although you should not take things lightly, the good news is that your circumstances are not hopeless after an arrest.
If the police officer who pulls you over determines that he or she needs to arrest you, do not try to resist. An arrest can make you immediately feel guilty, even if you are not. Fortunately, you are innocent until a judge or jury says otherwise. With that said, you have the right to remain silent, and you may want to invoke that right.
Although a roadside testing strip might initially suggest you are guilty, such tests can be faulty. Because roadside testing is not always reliable, there may be the possibility of throwing out the case if you can prove the test results are untrustworthy.
Though New Jersey has very strict impaired driving laws, you likely have opportunities to minimize the legal consequences after a conviction. For example, with a first-time DUI offense, you can often avoid a license suspension by installing an ignition interlock device on your vehicle for three months.
DUIs are a serious matter, but a DUI arrest is not necessarily a “done deal.” Because these cases often have numerous complexities, there is often more hope for your situation than you realize at the time of your arrest.
