It is unfair to face a DUI charge when you weren’t driving dangerously or showed no real signs of intoxication. In your case, you may have been driving home when you blew a tire or a light went out, leading to an officer stopping or approaching you.
If they decide to ask for a Breathalyzer test during a stop, you generally have to comply or risk losing your license. Knowing that, and knowing that there is subjectivity in how field sobriety tests may be given and observed if your BAC isn’t proof enough that you’re not impaired, you should be aware that you could still be arrested and may need to develop a strong defense.
A Breathalyzer test doesn’t tell the whole story
The problem with the way that officers check for impairment is that their tests aren’t foolproof. A Breathalyzer test only looks for alcohol. Field sobriety tests are not 100% accurate, meaning that you could fail them despite being totally sober.
In any case, if you are accused of a DUI, you deserve the opportunity to fight those allegations. The testing you went through may not have been accurate, and you could be facing completely baseless allegations with a real risk of serious penalties.
You don’t have to plead guilty to a DUI
Many people think that their best bet after an arrest is simply to plead guilty to a DUI to try to minimize the penalties that they could be facing upon conviction, but that is not true. You have a right to talk to an attorney and to work with them to go over the facts of the case. You may be able to show that the officer had no reason to stop you or that the tests you were given were interpreted incorrectly.
Know your rights if you’re accused of a DUI
In any case, you may be able to successfully argue against the charges turning into a conviction. Whether you are facing a misdemeanor DUI or you are accused of being a minor in possession, you deserve an opportunity to fight back and protect your freedoms.