Seattle DUI Attorney | You Don't Have to Talk to the Police by Christopher Small

We all know our Constitutional rights. We know we have the right to remain silent. We know we have the right to an attorney. We know we are supposed to be free from illegal searches and seizures (i.e. no searches without a warrant). But, in my line of work as a Seattle DUI attorney and Seattle criminal defense attorney, I see more often than not that people fail to exercise these rights when they should. To help you out the next time I've decided to walk you through a scenario when you should exercise all of these rights.

Before I begin, however, let me just remind you that although I am a Seattle DUI lawyer and Bellevue DUI lawyer, I am not your lawyer right now. All I am trying to do is provide you with information so you can help yourself when the time arises. Although this information is valuable, it is free, and it comes without the creation of any lawyer-client privileges.

Now let's set the stage. Let's say you are driving around in Western Washington, in the Seattle or Bellevue area. Let's say, in fact, that you are crossing I-90 on your way to Bellevue from Seattle after a hard day of work. You decided to stop in and have a couple of drinks with friends after work to unwind, and now you are on your way home. You know the speed limit says 60, but you are in a bit of a hurry so you up it to 65 and set the cruise. Then you see the Seattle police officer's lights flashing behind you.

After you are pulled over the officer approaches you. You've been drinking, so let's assume he's going to smell alcohol on you. After you've given him your license and registration, information you must provide, the officer asks the question you've been dreading - "have you had anything to drink tonight?" What you do next is important, and the officer is not going to like it.

First, don't lie. That is the worst thing you can do because it destroys your credibility going forward. Second, don't tell the truth. Letting the officer know you've had something to drink sets the stage for the rest of your Bellevue DUI investigation. So what's left? Remain silent. Tell the officer, politely, that you would rather not answer his question and that you'd like to remain silent.

Now, he is not going to like that, and he is probably going to keep asking you similar questions. If you want you can remain silent, period. If not, you can repeat the instruction and then politely ask if you are free to leave. If the officer says no, then invoke right number two - get a Seattle DUI attorney. They may or may not let you call one, but their actions are greatly limited after you've invoked your right to silence and asked for an attorney.

And finally on to right number three. Let's say the officer doesn't ask about the alcohol smell on your breath, but asks if he can search your vehicle. Blanket answer here - "no." Nothing good can come of it. And they will ask if you are hiding something. Just let them know you don't feel comfortable with searching your car, and call your Bellevue DUI attorney as soon as possible. They might not be able to do much at that time, but they can at least assure you that you are doing the right thing.

And that's the end. Don't be afraid to exercise your Constitutional rights. A lot of people risked their lives for you to enjoy the freedoms we receive in America. They best thing you can do is use those freedoms.

Article Source: http://www.goarticles.com