Whatever the holiday, you can bet that if it involves friends and families getting together for a good time, the Austin Police Department will increase their patrols for DUI offenses and will most likely institute “no refusal” stops. Such was the case for Memorial Day Weekend, and it will most likely occur later this summer around the Fourth of July and then again at summer’s end with Labor Day Weekend.
Memorial Day Weekend, the Austin Police Department was out in full force attempting to detect, apprehend, and arrest DUI drivers. Last year, the Austin American Statesman and KVUE conducted a study that showed that Travis County has an incredibly high number of drunken driving arrests. However, the report also indicated that the Austin area has an equally high percentage of dismissals compared with other areas.
Because Austin law enforcement officers engage in broad DUI sweep efforts during these holiday weekends, they often file DUI charges based on evidence that is weaker than what a prosecuting attorney would like to be able to work with. In fact, in Travis County, the prosecution dismisses an average of 30% of the DUI cases filed each year.
Obviously, no one should ever get behind the wheel of a car if they are intoxicated. However, such statistics indicate that officers are stopping and sometimes arresting people on suspicion of DUI when, in fact, the person is not guilty of driving while intoxicated. In such instances, it would appear that according to the numbers, the State either drops the charges or the accused’s Austin DUI attorney is able to defend against the DUI charges in court.
Regardless of whether it’s a holiday weekend or whether Austin Police are conducting no-refusal stops, anyone who is arrested for DUI should consult with an Austin DUI attorney as soon as possible. Your Austin DUI attorney will look at the evidence that the police have given to the prosecution and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses. Often, it is arguable whether the officer even had a reason to stop you in the first place. Sometimes even if the arresting officer had sufficient cause to pull you over, the field sobriety tests issued are questionable.
Whatever needs to be done to defend your innocence in your DUI case, your Austin DUI attorney will work with you to build the strongest case possible. However, that can only happen if you contact an attorney. Do not let a DUI conviction mar your record or your reputation. Protect your rights and get the best defense of your innocence possible by contacting an Austin DUI attorney.
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