Ralph had just received his second DWI. He was going to represent himself in court, but his father, Sam, told him that this would be a big mistake. When Ralph heard this, he asked Sam why he should even consider getting a DWI lawyer.

Although Sam wasn’t a lawyer, he told his son that he learned the hard way when as a young man he received a "driving under the influence" arrest, represented himself in court, paid fifty-five hundred dollars in fines and penalties, and served two month in the jail downtown. As he mentioned to his son, after he got out of jail, he found out from an attorney friend that had he hired a DWI lawyer to represent him in court, he more likely than not would have had his fines and penalties considerably reduced and he may have never served any time in the city jail.

What a DUI Lawyer Can Do in a DWI Arrest.

When Ralph heard this he knew he needed more DUI facts so he asked his dad for more information about what a DWI lawyer can do in a DUI arrest. His dad then articulated the following: "Even for a first DWI conviction, you could experience insurance coverage problems, face possible restrictions on your interstate and international travel, lose your driver’s license, or face the loss of your job. The good news, conversely, is that you can quite possibly avoid most or maybe all of these penalties by hiring a DWI lawyer.”

When Ralph listend to his father explain this, it was as if his eyes were opened for the first time about the critical nature of hiring a DUI attorney. Stated differently, Ralph realized that he needed a DUI lawyer.

The Reality About Taking Field Sobriety Tests

He then told his father that he had heard a lot about field sobriety tests. As a result, he asked his father what a field sobriety test was.

His father responded with the following: “Ralph, field sobriety tests are given by police officers to establish whether a person has been operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, alcohol, or both. Field sobriety tests are often based on coordination and agility. The 'logic' underlying these tests is that if a person is impaired alcohol, drugs, or from a combination of both, his or her agility and coordination will be adversely affected and the person’s 'performance' on these tests will suffer.”

Ralph’s father then wanted to underline the following: "Ralph, unlike a chemical test such as a breathalyzer test, a blood alcohol test, or a saliva test, where refusal to take such a test can have far-reaching and negative consequences, an individual is not legally required to take any field sobriety tests. The bottom line reality is that police officers have typically made up their minds to arrest the individual when they administer one of more of the field sobriety tests. In a word, field sobriety tests provide additional evidence that the driver inevitably 'fails.' As a result, and in most instances, a polite refusal to take any field sobriety test may be appropriate”

Near the end of their conversation, Ralph said that was beginning to understand more about “driving under the influence” laws and what DWI lawyers can do for a person who has received a ”drunk driving” arrest, but he was still wondering why he was stopped by the police in the first place. In his own words Ralph asked his father the following question: “Dad, why was I stopped by the police? Specifically what were they looking for”?

His dad answered Ralph in the following manner: “Ralph, there are several diverse reasons why you could have been 'stopped' by a police officer. Some examples include the following: involvement in a traffic accident, expired registration tags, missing a front license plate, weaving in and out of traffic, speeding, tinted windows, and driving erratically. Not only this but someone could have also reported you to the police after seeing you leaving a sporting event, a party, a restaurant, or a bar 'under the influence' and getting behind the wheel of a vehicle. In a word, there are more than a few reasons why you were 'stopped' by a police officer.”

After getting “schooled” about DUI arrests, the role of ”drunk driving" lawyers, and the fact that he didn’t have to agree to take any field sobriety tests at the time of his arrest, Ralph decided that he would without a doubt hire a DWI attorney to represent him in court.

Ralph Gets Motivated That He Will Always Drink Responsibly and Never Suffer Through Another DUI Arrest

Something else, however, happened after he had talked to his father. Ralph at last started to realize the critical nature of "drunk driving" arrests and as a result, he decided that from this moment forward, he would always drink in moderation so that he would never again have to go through another DWI arrest.

His father smiled at Ralph and told him the following, “son, it took me until I was forty-five years old to realize what you just told me. I am really proud of you.

Ralph thanked his father and then said, "if I can always drink responsibly, I will never need to hire a DUI attorney again!"