Stopped on DUI suspicion in Honolulu? Follow these tips
Driving under the influence of alcohol or substances in Honolulu can have severe consequences. People often assume that they can manage to evade the police, but things can change drastically soon. For a first-offense DUI in Hawaii, you may have to deal with license revocation for one year and must go for a 14-hour rehabilitation program. In addition, you may have to do community service, spend anywhere between two to five days in jail, or/and pay up to $1,000 in fines. If you had a prior DUI conviction, you could face license revocation for up to three years and may have to pay up to $3,000 in fines along with jail time up to 30 days or up to 240 hours of community service.
Top law firms like Holcomb Law, LLLC offer all the support that clients need to defend against a DUI charge. However, what you do right after being asked to pull over is also important. In this post, we are sharing a few tips to follow if you have been asked by an officer to pull over.
- Stay in your car. Just because you have been asked to pull over doesn’t mean you have to step out of the car. Wait for the investigating officer to come to you and only get your window down when asked.
- Be nice. You may find that the officer is rude to you or asking questions that may seem odd. No matter the situation, remain nice and polite to the officer, even when you believe that you are being mistreated.
- Don’t answer questions. While you should listen to what the officer has to say, you don’t need to answer all questions. Remember that you could end up saying something that could incriminate you. Ask for details if needed, or tell the officer that you would want to remain silent.
- Don’t say something stupid. Just mentioning that you had a drink six hours back may sound like an innocent thing, but the officer could use that against you. Do not talk too much or share information that the officer doesn’t need to know.
If you have been arrested, remain calm and get in touch with an attorney. Resisting the arrest will only make things worse. Also, if you don’t understand your rights, wait for your lawyer to explain the same. DUI charges can be defended when a good lawyer is on the case.
