5 Things to Do When Stopped for DUI/DWI

1. Don't tell the cops how much you've had to drink

We've got the right to remain silent and we've got the right not to incriminate ourselves

 

2. Don't take field sobriety tests

Field sobriety tests are 100% voluntary. This means if you refuse to do field sobriety tests they can't immediately arrest you for DUI

 

3. Don't take a portable breath test

You don't have to take it. It doesn't help you, it helps them, and they are unreliable to boot. Just say no.

 

4. The moment you feel uncomfortable ask to speak with a DUI attorney

Once you ask for an attorney when you are under arrest, the police are supposed to stop questioning you and take reasonable steps to get you an attorney.

 

5. Remain calm and respectful to the police

Try to remain calm and hold your tongue. If you don't your actions will be used against you later.

 

 

What is a Plea Bargain?

A plea bargain (also plea agreement, plea deal or copping a plea) is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.

 

A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to avoid the risk of conviction at trial on the original more serious charge.

 

 

The Criminal Justice System

The Criminal Justice Information Services Division (CJIS) is a division of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The CJIS was established in February 1992 and it is the largest division in the FBI.
A computerized criminal justice information system that is a counterpart of FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC) is centralized in Washington D.C., and is maintained by Department of Justice (DOJ) in each state. It is available to authorized local, state, and federal law enforcement and criminal justice agencies via any of the three law enforcement communication systems – National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS), a more localized state criminal information system (name varies by state), and the International Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (INLETS). Usually CJIS offers a much wider range of information nationwide and more precise inquiry search parameters than NCIC. CJIS consists of several databases and one subsystem, and its retrieval and update capabilities are online.