Over the course of the next month, we’ll be doing an extended breakdown of the process of Colorado DUIs from arrest to case resolution. So, for this blog, we’ll start right at the beginning: the DUI stop.

It’s late and you’ve had a couple beers with dinner. You’re driving home from the restaurant when you see the flashing reds and blues in your rearview. You don’t know if you have a taillight out or if maybe you’ve been weaving over the lines, but you’re sure the officer is after you.

You pull over and so does the officer. The officer will ask for your documents at this time – license, registration and insurance. As you reach for your documents, the officer will observe your behavior for abnormalities and likely ask you questions, such as where you are coming from, where you are going and whether you’ve had anything to drink. This is a tactic officers use to divide your attention, as intoxicated people are less able to multitask effectively. You are not required to answer these questions, though you should remain cordial.

After running your info, the officer, if suspicious of your sobriety, may ask you to take a field sobriety test. You are not required by law to do this, though the officer may imply otherwise. If you do, note that it will likely be recorded by the officer’s dashcam. Even sober people sometimes have trouble with these tests, so you should politely decline.

Now, depending on your behaviors during the stop, the officer might take you into custody or might let you go. For the sake of the series, we are going to assume the cop believes there is probable cause for your arrest. The officer cuffs you and puts you in the back seat of the cruiser. After a long ride, you arrive at the station.

To be continued in Part 2.

Our Denver DUI attorneys are former prosecutors and know the tactics the opposition uses to try and maximize your penalties. Our goal is to fight back for you.