DUI Law Center
What to do NOW
These steps should be taken immediately following your arrest:
1. Make a detailed list of all the events before
being stopped up to and including being released from custody.
2. Receipts and any other documentation that can be
used to establish the timing
leading up to the stop can become very critical pieces of evidence.
These must be preserved. Police only have a limited time to draw blood
or take a breath sample
after a stop is made.
2. You need to make a lsit of the field sobriety
tests that were given to you, including whether or not you were given a
portable breath test. The criminal process can last years in
Pennsylvania. If you record these memories now, you will be less likley
to forget the details later.
3. If you were stopped because of an alleged car
equipment failure, and you beleive there was no equipment failure, you
need to immediately take your vehicle to a service center to have the
condition of the vehicle noted.
4. If you refused to take the chemical tests that
were offered to you, you need to make sure that PennDot has your
current address, as they will be sending you a suspension notice. Once
you receive the notice, you will only have a very limited time to
challenge that suspension. Chemical test refusal appeals can be very
effective, but the filing deadlines can be tricky.
5. You need to be aware that subsequent charges
could carry greatly enhanced penalties.
6. Do not talk about your case with anybody except
your attorney.
7. Retain an experienced DUI/DMV defense attorney to represent you. Only an experienced DUI/DMV defense attorney is able to spot the defenses available to you and present them to the District Attorney, Judge, or Jury. You need an aggressive attorney to keep you out of jail and who has experience in hundreds of DUI and DMV matters like yours.
Call us now to discuss at (412) 722-7171