Why You Need An Indiana OWI Lawyer

By Deanne Shepard


Very few people actually plan to go out and get arrested for driving while intoxicated. When they do, they had better be sure they have an Indiana OWI lawyer. In the state of Indiana, OWI stands for operating while intoxicated, referring to a motor vehicle. In some states, such as Texas, motor vehicle can include a golf cart.

In just one year, the state of Indiana had a total of 187 accidents involving a fatality where at least one driver had a BAC over . 08 percent, the legal limit. Nobody is suggesting they should get off without accepting the consequences, neither should they be bereft of their basic rights to justice. This is where the mouthpiece comes in.

Whatever acronym your state uses to describe being over the limit, most states operate on the assumption that by being in control of a motor vehicle, you consent to a blood alcohol test. In some states, like Texas, refusing to take a blood test results in automatic loss of your driver's license.

The thing is, if you are arrested for drunk driving, you are likely to be so confused, shocked and spit-scared that you will confess to anything. Wrong. Less is definitely more. Law enforcement officers have selective memories, and anything you say in your own favor will be forgotten, while anything you say that will incriminate yourself will be forever etched in stone.

You actually start hanging yourself before you are arrested, before you are even pulled over. Evidence that someone has been drinking impaired include things like weaving from side to side, driving well below the speed limit or making wide turns.

When they pull you over, they look for other, supporting signs that you have been drinking alcohol. The glassy eyes, the boozy breath, slurred speech, these are evidence of what they call personal symptoms of insobriety. Other types of evidence include field sobriety tests, incriminating statements and breath tests and various other hoop-jumping exercises that fall under the umbrella of field sobriety tests.

It is the chemical tests that can do the most damage from a criminal defense point of view. For this reason, defense lawyers often make challenging them a prime part of their defense strategy. They will request things like the training record of the operator or the maintenance record of the piece of equipment that was used in your arrest. Another vulnerable target, believe it or not, is the source code that is used in the programming of the breath-testing equipment.

Incriminating statements are those you make without thinking, when you speak without the presence of an attorney. You think that by confessing, they may be more lenient with you, or you may say something to hang yourself without even knowing it. Know this, you have the right to refuse to answer questions, although it is in your best interests to do so politely. Remember, also, that the role of the DWI lawyer in Indiana is not to let you off the hook for dangerous and stupid behavior. The job of the lawyer is to ensure that your rights as guaranteed under the Constitution are preserved and protected and that you get the justice to which you are entitled.




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