Nightclubs, restaurants and bars are filled with people enjoying themselves with alcoholic beverages. If you're one of these people some night, just be sure that you aren't making any of these drinking-related mistakes that could get you charged with an OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) offense when the night is over.
1-Driving
Some people plan to head home in their car even if they've had some drinks. If this is something that you've already decided is part of your plan, reconsidering is wise. Your feeling that becoming sober will happen before you get into the car may not be accurate. In fact, if drinking happens at all, judgement skills will be impaired for some time; your personal assessment of whether you've gotten sober could be dangerously incorrect.
2-Refusing Requests
If you do end up in a car, driving it instead of being a passenger, an officer could detain you. In your mind this may seem like an easy situation to deal with as long as you refuse tests and requests. You might consider yourself within rights to do that, but the fact is your license could be threatened by these simple refusals. Your state could even require forfeiture of the license once you say you won't submit to a field test or breathalyzer test.
You've got to take requests seriously. If the officer asks you to exit the car, do so. If they want you to answer questions, do so. Don't try to delay breathalyzer and other tests; this could also count against you. In fact, police can still make an OWI arrest without the tests based on your slurred speech or belligerent attitude.
3-Refuse Legal Assistance
After remaining at home for some time after your OWI arrest, the guilt you feel about the entire incident could be overwhelming and upsetting. You may resolve to appear in court and agree to whatever the judge decides.
While the judge will indeed make the final decisions about what happens, the need for legal assistance shouldn't be ignored. Your job and your finances could be threatened without adequate support. Lawyers who have been through these cases before have a much better idea of what you're facing; they can negotiate down points and other consequences so that you have a higher chance of walking away without serious damage to your freedom or pocketbook.
Without these errors, you should be able to regret your actions and move on rather quickly. Your OWI lawyer can help throughout the entire court process
