The officer will likely walk up to your window, ask you for your license, insurance card, and vehicle registration. He or she may ask other questions to get you talking. The officer is looking for the “distinct odor of the impurities of alcohol.” When the officer asks you out of the vehicle, they will ask you to perform a sequence of Field Sobriety Exercises. These exercises include following a flashlight with your eyes, standing on one leg, and performing the “walk and turn” which is basically just walking heel toe down a straight line.
Once you have completed these exercises, the officer will make a determination as to whether or not to arrest you on suspicion of DUI. It is at this point, once you are under arrest, that you will be asked to submit to a breath, blood, and/or urine test. This test is what the officer’s use for confirmation of DUI in their minds. Understand, even if you blow UNDER .08, you can STILL be arrested for DUI. Even if you blow a 0.00, you can STILL be arrested for DUI.
So, should you submit to alcohol testing?
Florida Statute 316.1932 governs refusal to submit to alcohol testing. A refusal in Florida results in the automatic suspension of your driver’s license for a year. If you refuse a second time, it becomes an additional criminal offense along with the mandatory suspension of your driver’s license. Consenting to a breath test provides the officer further evidence to make the arrest for DUI and the State Attorney with additional evidence to use against you of impairment should you choose to take your case to trial. It is up to you to determine whether or not submitting to alcohol testing is in your best interest.
What happens if you weren’t driving?
What if instead of saying “I’m perfectly safe to drive” and driving home, you say “no way can I drive, I’m going to sleep it off in my car.” You may think by sleeping it off in your car, you are doing the responsible adult thing. However, you can still be arrested for DUI even if you are not physically driving your vehicle. Florida law provides that if you are in actual and physical control of your vehicle, you can be arrested. In layman’s terms, if you are in your car, with the keys, and have the ability to make it move, you can be arrested for DUI.
So you’ve been arrested for DUI, what happens next?
If you have been arrested for DUI, you will need to contact an attorney immediately to represent you. Following your arrest, an attorney can
- Guide you on how you can get a hardship license
- Advise you about penalties following a first and subsequent DUI
- Determine if any motions can be filed to help win your case
Please, contact us today for advise on how to best resolve your DUI or other criminal matters.
Last Updated on August 9, 2023 by The Orlando Law Group
