What You Should Know About Driving Under the Influence in Richmond Virginia

Driving under the influence in Richmond Virginia is a serious charge. If you’re convicted of the charge, you could be facing life-altering penalties. Even just being charged with a DUI is Virginia can cause you a lot of hassle, though.

What to Expect After You’ve Been Charged

When you’re charged with a DUI in Richmond, VA, your driver’s license is usually suspended right on the spot. The police officer might confiscate it from you before he or she puts you in handcuffs and takes you to jail. If this is your first offense, you might be released on your own recognizance or you might be given a bond that you can post to bail out of jail.

What to Do After You’ve Been Charged

When you’ve been charged with a DUI in Virginia, one of the most important things to do is to keep silent. Do not divulge any more information to law enforcement officers than you have to because anything you say could be used against you later on in court.

It’s essential that you contact an attorney right away. An attorney can evaluate the circumstances surrounding your case to determine how to advise you.

What You Can Expect From Your Attorney

Some of the questions you can expect your attorney to ask you include the following:

  • Were you given a reason why you were pulled over?
  • Was there a crash? If so, did the officer arrive on the scene before or after the crash?
  • Did you submit to a blood alcohol content (BAC) test? If so, what was your reading? How many times were you given the test?
  • Was anyone else involved in the accident? What anyone in the car with you?

These are just some of the questions that you can expect your attorney to start off with asking you, and depending upon your answers, he or she will know where to go from there.

What You Can Expect Your Attorney to Do

The first thing you can expect your attorney to do is to determine whether or not the arrest was lawful. If the arrest wasn’t lawful in the first place, then any evidence gathered will be deemed irrelevant, and your charges could be dropped. For instance, if the police officer didn’t have a valid reason to pull you over, then your charges could potentially be dropped.

However, if your attorney does deem the arrest lawful, then he can at least help you fight the charges. When you’ve been charged with a DUI in Richmond, VA, contact Virginia DUI attorney David A.C. Long right away.