Despite laws that encourage jail time rather than treatment and rehabilitation, Florida drug use continues to increase. While experts view addiction as a mental illness, not a crime, this is not a perspective shared in law enforcement.
Many people who are arrested for and charged with impaired driving offenses may well feel as though society looks very harshly at them. The stigma associated with “drunk driving” has been deeply ingrained in people over the last several decades.
When people in Clearwater hear the acronym “BAC,” they may easily assume that it stands for “breath-alcohol content” given that authorities obtain the measurement most associate with drunk driving through a breath test.
When you are facing charges for committing a crime in California, there are very specific rights you are afforded under the law. If the police violate those rights or you feel they have not been honored in any way, it may change the outcome of your case.
Depending on the drug in question and the amount one has, possession is a serious crime in and of itself. Drug possession can result in jail time, fines and other adverse consequences. Possession with the intent to distribute is another crime entirely, and a much more serious one.
Driving is a privilege you probably cannot afford to lose. After all, you likely drive to work, shopping centers, entertainment venues and other places. Unfortunately, violating traffic laws may result in a suspension of your driver’s license.
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you.
The lights of a Florida patrolman flash behind you prompting you to pull over. You have not done anything wrong, yet the officer wants you to conduct a field sobriety test.
Proving that you were driving under the influence of alcohol requires that law enforcement have some sort of measurement indicating that you were intoxicated. The results of inconclusive chemical testing cannot simply be explained away.
Officers may use breath tests when dealing with suspected DUI drivers. Breath tests are often a decent indication of someone’s intoxication levels. But it is not a perfect device and it can make mistakes.