If you are arrested on suspicion of DUI in Seattle, the first thing the cops will
do is take you to the nearest police station and begin the process of giving you
a breath test. The breath test is supposed to determine the amount of alcohol in
your system, the idea being that if the determination is over a certain amount you
are too drunk to drive.
Before the test is given, the cop will read you what is called an implied consent
warning. An implied consent warning is supposed to lay out all the reasons for the
test, the consequences of a test result over .08, and the consequences of refusing
to take a breath test. At the end of the implied consent warnings, the officer will
give you a chance to talk to a Seattle
DUI lawyer to decide what you want to do. Take it!
A Seattle DUI attorney will be able to do a couple of things. First, they'll be
able to talk to you to see if you exhibit any signs of intoxication. Second, they'll
be able to answer any questions you have. And third, they'll be able to give you
specific advice on what to do moving forward to protect your rights as much as possible.
Deciding whether or not to take a breath test is a difficult decision, though a
recent court ruling has made the decision easier (see the section on blood tests
for more information). Before you do anything you need to consult a DUI lawyer to
make sure you are doing everything possible to make your case as winnable as possible.
Most of the time the DUI lawyer you speak with will recommend that you take the
breath test. This recommendation happens for a couple of reasons. First, a breath
test refusal results in increased penalties. Second, DUI lawyers know there are
many opportunities to get the breath test results suppressed or minimize the effects
of the test results. Just because you took the breath test and have a high number
doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. A good Seattle DUI lawyer may be able to resolve
even the worst looking case to your satisfaction after a thorough investigation.
If you are charged with DUI in the Seattle area, don't wait until it's too late.
Call us today at 206-651-4245 for a free consultation.