Immediate Steps Following a Bucks County DUI Arrest
When an individual is arrested for DUI in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, that individual should obtain the services of an experienced Bucks County DUI criminal defense attorney as soon as possible and begin to review all paper work generated on their case. This paper work consists of initial police reports, an affidavit of probable cause, and the actual complaint documents that are formulated by the arresting officer or police headquarters responsible for the arrest.
Steps to Take in the First Ten Days
Once an individual obtains the services of a defense attorney, that criminal defense attorney can meet with officers involved in the arrest to discuss options before a formal complaint is composed. The meeting may possibly result in the dismissal of one or all of the charges prior to a formal complaint being filed.
Having that opportunity, time, and experience allows an individual’s case to be more successful than waiting for the court to send out a court date with all possible charges. When an individual takes a proactive stance in defending their DUI and obtains the services of a qualified attorney, that individual increases the chances of a successful resolution of their matter in its earliest stages.
So, the most important step in the first 10 days, is seeking out the services of an experienced Bucks County attorney. The attorney should contact the arresting agencies or police officers and begin to examine all paper work that could lead to criminal charges and later a criminal complaint filed against the individual charged with DUI.
Initial Focus of the Case
In an ideal situation, an individual charged with DUI in Bucks County should focus their energies on obtaining as much legitimate information as possible involving the arrest and possible future complaints against them. To do so, an individual should consult an attorney who can seek out any paper work generated by the arresting police agency; speak to the police; and control what, if any, charges are sent out by the arresting agency and filed by the district court.
Role of an Attorney
An attorney experienced with the DUI system and trying cases involving DUI in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, has a number of options in the initial stages after the person’s arrest. Within the first ten days, an attorney may be able to consult with the arresting agencies or arresting police officers, provide details to the police agencies such as insurance and liability coverage, and help the individual who is charged with DUI avoid having additional traffic offenses or criminal charges brought against them.
Working with the arresting agencies and protecting one’s own client at the same time can often expedite a case through the criminal system in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and lead to an acquittal or positive resolution in almost every case. Seeking out the right advice, the right individuals involved in the arrest, and putting those two aspects of criminal defense to work at the earliest stages leads to success.
Driving Ten Days After an Arrest
A person in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who is charged with DUI but has not yet been found guilty is always presumed innocent. Therefore, an individual’s driving privileges are not suspended until an individual is convicted of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
An individual can operate their motor vehicle with their Pennsylvania license without any concern unless a conviction is later given or a suspension is due because of a diversionary program. There is one instance that a license can be suspended prior to a conviction. If an individual refuses a Breathalyzer exam or a blood draw, the individual is often read the O’Connell warnings. The individual is advised that the refusal to take a breath test or blood draw will result in their license being suspended for one year.
If a person refuses the tests, their license is suspended for a year unless an attorney experienced in that license registration area is able to meet certain exceptions to the rule. Those exceptions are few and far between. It is always better to submit to a breath or blood draw in all DUI arrest cases. There is no benefit to not allowing such evidence to be presented.
If a person refuses, they are subjected to an additional one year license suspension and the presumption at trial that they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. There is no positive reason for an individual to refuse such tests.