What Should I Do After a DUI Arrest in Florida?
If you are facing charges for driving under the influence, it’s only natural to feel completely overwhelmed. Few—if any—of us expect to find ourselves in this terrifying position. A conviction could mean spending time in jail and paying thousands of dollars in fines in addition to a wide range of similarly strict penalties.
However, the actions you take immediately after an arrest can have a significant impact on the outcome of your case. Following the right steps may help improve your chances of having your penalties reduced or the charges dismissed. With that in mind, here are a few tips for what to do after a DUI arrest:
1. Do Not Discuss Your Arrest
After an arrest, it’s only normal to feel sad, anxious, or outraged about the ordeal. However, while discussing what happened with others might help you process this traumatic event, these conversations could come back to haunt you. Unfortunately, even with your closest friends, you don’t have the true confidentiality that you do with a DUI defense attorney.
2. Take Care on Social Media
If you’ve been charged with a DUI, you should limit your social media activity. You might be tempted to vent your frustrations on Facebook or share videos of the arrest with your followers on Twitter, but anything you post online could become incriminating evidence in the hands of a prosecutor. As such, it may be in your best interests to deactivate your social media profiles until proceedings have run their course.
3. Write a Firsthand Account of the Arrest
While you might think that you’ll never forget the moment you were arrested, even these visceral memories will fade over time. As such, you should take time as soon as possible after this experience to write about what happened. What were you doing before you were stopped? What did the police officers say? How did the arresting officers behave? Did they make you undergo any field sobriety tests? Your DUI defense attorney may be able to use this account to guide their investigation and identify mistakes the officers might’ve made.
4. Contact a DUI Lawyer
A DUI defense attorney can help you pursue the best possible outcome given the circumstances surrounding your arrest. He or she can guide you through proceedings, helping you avoid critical mistakes that might otherwise leave you facing harsh penalties. Additionally, the sooner you contact an attorney, the sooner he or she can begin gathering time-sensitive evidence that might be necessary to strengthen your defense.
Speak with a DUI Attorney in Port St. Lucie, Florida Today
If you were arrested for driving under the influence, turn to attorney Todd A. Kawecki. He is ready to answer your call and help you fight your charges.
Todd can investigate the actions of law enforcement before, during, and after your arrest to determine if they made any errors that could help you dismantle the prosecution’s case against you. Contact us today at 772-238-6091 or visit our Contact Page to discuss your case with a Port St. Lucie DUI lawyer.