When you face a DWI charge, you can handle it in one of two ways: Assume you have no way to win against the charge and accept what the courts decide, or fight for yourself with the help of an experienced DWI attorney in San Angelo. The latter choice will enable you to mount a vigorous defense that achieves the best possible outcome for your case. Here are a few ways your lawyer can help you defend against a DWI charge.
A DWI ATTORNEY IN SAN ANGELO CAN CALL THE TRAFFIC STOP ITSELF INTO QUESTION.
While there is likely to be evidence presented during the prosecution of your DWI charge, one way your DWI attorney can defend you against the charge is to call the original traffic stop itself into question.
Any traffic stop must be made on the basis of what is called reasonable suspicion. This means that the officer needs some sign (such as speeding or swerving), that there is a law being broken.
Once the stop is made, the officer also needs to have probable cause to continue the stop beyond the original reason for it. For example, they may choose to give you a breathalyzer if they smell alcohol on your breath. And during the stop, they must make your Miranda rights clear.
In order to mount a defense to your DWI charges, your San Angelo DWI lawyer may choose to examine the details of the traffic stop. If they find any issues with how the stop occurred, they may be able to use those issues to suppress any evidence gathered during the stop, making it much harder to prosecute your case and increasing your chances of a dismissal.
A DWI ATTORNEY IN SAN ANGELO CAN QUESTION THE RELIABILITY OF THE FIELD SOBRIETY TESTS.
Field sobriety tests (such as asking you to walk in a straight line), are commonly used to determine intoxication during a traffic stop. However, they are not infallible guides. As a result, your DWI Attorney in San Angelo may be able to call their reliability into question.
Alternatively, your criminal defense lawyer may be able to argue that the officer administered them incorrectly. Regardless of which argument they use, if they are able to question the reliability of the test, they may be able to overturn the evidence from the test and make it easier to fight the charges you face.
A DWI ATTORNEY IN SAN ANGELO CAN QUESTION THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE FIELD SOBRIETY TESTS.
Finally, when defending you against DWI charges, your DWI attorney may be able to question the circumstances surrounding the field sobriety tests. For example, there are situations that can unduly influence the results of these tests. Fatigue or medication may make it difficult to walk in a straight line. Lights in your eyes may make it difficult to complete other tests.
Even the breathalyzer test can be influenced by outside factors. For example, weight or medication can affect the readings of the test. By detailing circumstances that could have impacted the tests, your lawyer can make it more difficult to trust the results of these tests.
When you face a DWI charge, you should consider hiring a DWI Attorney in San Angelo. Here at the Law Offices of David M. White, we have years of experience vigorously defending our clients and pursuing the best possible outcome for them. Do not hesitate to reach out for the help you need.
