WWLD……What would legal minds do?
Instead of “what would Jesus do,” how about “what would legal minds do.” I find it interesting that individuals that get arrested for a DUI here in Washington State that have a background in the legal system. Whether it is a law enforcement officer, or whether it is a Judge. What do they all have in common. When they are being investigated for a DUI they decline to answer any questions. They decline the field sobriety tests. And in some cases they decline the breath test at the station.
Why is that? They must know something the rest of society doesn’t. Perhaps it can be that the field sobriety tests are junk science only designed for a person to fail. Or perhaps it can be that the breath test at the police station is a piece of junk and that is neither accurate nor reliable, despite what the Prosecutors and the Washington State Patrol Toxicology Lab say.
Now Im not here to violate these individuals privacy, even thou their arrest is public record. Im not trying to embarrass anyone, or poke fun at their mistakes. Obviously they are human, just like the people they arrest, and the people they preside over. But what I want to point out is what a knowledgable individual does when they are being investigated for a DUI. As you may know Im a Seattle DUI lawyer. Many of my blogs here say the same thing over and over. Decline the field sobriety tests, don’t answer any questions without talking with a lawyer, and don’t take the breath test without asking for a lawyer.
But sometimes I get the feeling people aren’t listening because Im a DUI lawyer and somehow I have a dog in the fight. This is why I bring up the Sargent with the Seattle Police Department who was arrested, and the Judge who was recently arrested. Obviously they are familiar with the legal system, and in particular DUI cases. They declined, and if that doesn’t tell you how flawed everything is in a DUI investigation, I don’t know what else will.
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Matthew A. Leyba is a Seattle DUI lawyer located in downtown Seattle. His practice focuses exclusively on representing those accused of DUI and other serious traffic offenses. If you have been arrested for a DUI feel free to contact our office for a free 60 minute consultation that is completely confidential.