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Field Sobriety Test Refusal: What Are Your Options in Illinois?
You were pulled over in Chicago because the police officer suspected that you had been drinking and driving. It’s been a long day at the office. You know you’ve had a couple beers, but you’re worried about the possible ramifications of refusing to take a field sobriety or Breathalyzer test—so you consent to the test.
Bad idea. If you’ve been pulled over by a Chicago police officer and fail a sobriety test, your lawyer may not have many options to effectively defend you from incontrovertible physical evidence later in court. Read on to see why you should always respectfully refuse to take the test and let your lawyer from Chicago Trusted Attorneys™ handle the aftermath.
Your Legal Right to Decline the Test
Once you pass the drivers license test, you’re required to do certain things in order to keep that license. Your license is conditional, so if you refuse or fail to do those things, you could lose your license for some time. That applies to taking a sobriety test. If you refuse the test, you could earn an automatic license suspension.
However, the undeniable inconvenience of a suspended license pales in comparison to the life-long impacts of a criminal conviction for DUI.
Between possible jail time, fines, and a permanent stain on your record, the consequences of a DUI in Chicago underscore the importance of doing all you can to avoid conviction.
Your DUI attorney can help you fight a summary suspension of your license in a hearing or through other means. Being detained on-site is not as damaging in the long run as being convicted of a DUI in court.
That’s why, if asked to submit to a field sobriety or Breathalyzer test, you should calmly and respectfully decline.
Don’t Take the Test—Give Your Lawyer a Shot
If you refuse to take the sobriety test, there’s a chance you’ll be arrested, and you can also lose your license. The problem is, once there’s concrete physical evidence of you being drunk behind the wheel, it can be become impossible to avoid conviction for a DUI.
Let’s say you do blow for the sobriety test, and it shows you’re over the legal limit. At this point, as long as the test was conducted legally and the officer has done their due diligence, fighting that evidence in court becomes difficult.
Case in point: Your DUI attorney can only do so much to help you beat a charge if there’s bona fide evidence of you failing a field sobriety or Breathalyzer test.
You give your Chicago DUI lawyer the best bet to beat a DUI charge if there’s no physical or video evidence, such as video of a failed field sobriety test or clear blood alcohol content test results.
The bottom line? You should never submit to a Breathalyzer or field sobriety test when stopped by the police.
Never blow, and never do field testing—respectfully decline, and let a lawyer from Chicago Trusted Attorneys handle the rest.
How an Illinois DUI Lawyer Can Help
Worried about the future of your drivers license? Although this is understandable, taking a field sobriety test can only hinder your best legal defense.
If you’ve been arrested on a DUI, an attorney from Chicago Trusted Attorneys™ can go to work for you. We have decades of experience building defenses and helping people put their lives back together. We’re ready to help you get those charges dropped or reduced in the courtroom.
Call 312-519-3171 or fill out the online contact form below to request a consultation.