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Probable Cause
Anonymous2 views2 answers
I was sleeping in the front seat of my car at about 3am and an offcier knocked on my window asked me to step out of the car. I did and he stated he thought I was drinking I said no I wasn't just tired. He then told me to park in a parking spot I did and he left. A little while (1/2 hour tops)later I decided to drive home, I truned on my signal for a turn and his squad car lights turn on. He arrests me for dui I did not blow however I had a dissmissed dui and refusal 3 years ago. He said there was video and I KNOW I was driving fine. Ticket for improper lane use and DUI. The video WILL show I was driving fine. Is that enough for a dismissal?
First, sleeping in the front seat of your car with the keys in the ignition or in your pocket can be construed as "operation" of the vehicle by a Judge. Second, the fact that you waited a half hour before driving away indicates you were driving the vehicle when the police officer pulled you over.
You ask if "its enough for a dismissal?" There is not enough information in your question to determine an answer. With DUI its a matter of whether your ability to drive the vehicle was impaired that dictates whether you will be convicted. If you refused to take the breath test, the DA has less to offer by way of proof to the jury and that may help your case. However, the police car video (if one exists) will be strong evidence of whether you were driving properly or not and if you are shown standing in front of the video camera, it will also be strong evidence one way or the other. What you're really asking is whether the lack of proof will be enough for an acquittal after trial and that is ultimately up to the jury.
If you refused to complete a breath or blood test after a California DUI
arrest, you may be facing a refusal of a chemical test. Your San Diego
California DUI criminal defense attorney will have more obstacles to
encounter.
There are a number of special California DUI enhancements that will
increase a defendant's risk of receiving a stricter punishment in a California
DUI misdemeanor case. The increased California DUI punishment alternatives
include steeper California DUI fines, mandatory attendance in lengthy
California DUI alcohol education courses, and a longer required California
DUI term of incarceration in a county jail.
When a California DUI suspect refuses to take a chemical test,
both the California DUI lawyer and the prosecution are presented
with challenges and opportunities.
California has a law called the informed consent law of chemical
testing. What this means is that when you got your drivers
license, you agreed (although you probably did not realize it at the
time) that in exchange for the state giving you your drivers license,
you agreed to submit to a chemical test. This law means that the
state does not need a warrant or other court order to have you submit
to a chemical test.
If a California DUI suspect is arrested and after arrest is given the opportunity
to take a chemical test such as a breath, blood, or urine test, and
refuses to take any chemical test, the DUI suspect will be charged with
an additional crime of refusing a chemical test, per California DUI lawyers.
As long as there is no forced blood draw, the DUI suspect who refuses
to take a chemical test can potentially gain some advantages by refusing.
Unless a forced blood draw, the prosecution does not have a blood level
number to rely upon and has the more difficult job of proving impairment
as defined in California 's jury instructions. However, this is of limited value
according to most California DUI lawyers.
Many DUI defendants are charged with refusal because at the time they
were asked to take a chemical test, the DUI defendant believed that
they had the right to speak to a California DUI lawyer.
While this may be the law in some states, it is not the law in California. This
mistaken belief has lead to many refusal cases, per California DUI lawyers.
In many California DUI lawyer cases, the defendant agrees to take the
voluntary field sobriety tests while refusing to take the mandatory chemical
test. What this means is that in many refusal cases, the
prosecutor still has evidence of impairment through the officer's
testimony about the DUI suspect's performance on the field sobriety
tests.
Another common error DUI defendants tell California DUI lawyers is to
assume that by submitting to the preliminary alcohol screening (PAS) test,
that they have satisfied their obligation to give a chemical test.
In some California DUI lawyer cases, under the right facts, this
can be a winning argument. However, in most California DUI lawyer
cases, the refusal will still be charged.
California DUI lawyers report that many prosecutors and judges can
be very hostile towards a DUI defendant who has refused a chemical test.
This hostility can be expressed in increased jail time and extended alcohol e
ducation programs.
If the DUI defendant decides to go to trial and is found innocent of
the charge of driving while intoxicated, than the defendant can't be
found guilty of refusing a chemical test, California DUI lawyers explain.
During the trial, the California DUI attorney will given an instruction that
the act of the DUI defendant refusing to take a chemical test is evidence that the
DUI defendant was conscious of his own guilt of the charge of DUI.
In some California DUI lawyer cases and before some jurors, this can pose a
significant challenge.
http://www.sandiegodrunkdrivingattorney.net/refusal-cases.html