Many people are stopped and charged with driving while intoxicated every year. These charges are very serious and can have long-lasting effects on your life. It is important to know what to do if you are pulled over by the police for this reason. You need to do two main things right away.

Know Your Rights

You need to know your rights if you are pulled over for driving while intoxicated. You need to remain calm and be courteous to the officer who stopped you. You are allowed to refuse to take any tests for alcohol during the stop although you can still be arrested. Answer questions without giving too many details. You should avoid discussing the events that happened leading up to the stop. The most important thing that you can do is to refuse to answer questions that are not about your identity until you have legal representation. This can help to protect your rights even if the officer decides to detain you or make an arrest.

Call a Lawyer

Your next step should be to call a top DUI attorney in San Diego. An attorney can help you to mount an effective defense against the charges. A lawyer can defend you against common tactics used by law enforcement and prosecutors that could negatively affect your case. Your lawyer will be a zealous advocate for you in the courts. A lawyer is especially important because the individual could negotiate a favorable plea deal. This means you might be able to avoid jail time. An attorney can sometimes get your penalties reduces so that your license is suspended for the minimum amount of time and fines are as low as possible. You need to be represented by a lawyer if you are accused of driving while intoxicated.