Colorado DUI Lawyer: Castle Rock Douglas County DUI Attorney

Castle Rock DUI Lawyer: Douglas County DUI Attorney

Drinking at a party or a bar with friends isn't illegal in Castle Rock, Parker, Highlands Ranch and Douglas County. It is a privilege which comes when a person is of legal age to consume alcohol. However, consuming beer, wine, or hard liquor and choosing to drive can quickly be a problem. When a person’s blood alcohol content is too high, it can warrant charges of DUI (Driving Under the Influence). Whenever a person drives a motor vehicle or vehicle under the influence of alcohol or one or more drugs, or a combination of both, they commit a violation of the law which sets limits for a driver's blood alcohol level. DUI charges can result in an arrest and a mandatory court appearance. Only a local Castle Rock DUI lawyer from Sawyer Legal Group, LLC can best defend you from DUI charges. Your freedom and driving rights need to be protected.

Parker DUI Lawyer: DUI Roadside Tests

If you are pulled over by police for a DUI in Castle Rock or Parker, they will ask you to submit to field sobriety tests. These Colorado sobriety tests may include Walk and Turn, One Leg Stand, Finger to Nose, the Romberg Balance Test and the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test. These roadside tests allow police to check a person’s impairment from alcohol or drugs and are used in establishing Probable Cause to Arrest. The important thing to remember about these roadside tests is that they are voluntary. Politely refusing to submit to these tests is strongly encouraged, since they not only give police probable cause to make an arrest for a DUI, but can be used as evidence to convict you of DUI in court. Below are descriptions of these field sobriety tests so you know what to expect:

Walk and Turn

The Walk and Turn roadside test involves a police officer instructing you to take “heel-to-toe” steps along a real or imaginary line, turn in a specific way, and then take additional “heel-to-toe” steps back to where you started. You will be expected to keep your arm at your sides, follow all instructions, keep your balance, and take the right number of steps.

One Leg Stand

The One Leg Stand test involves a police officer instructing you to raise one leg six inches off the ground, keeping the bottom of your heel parallel to the ground and arms to your side while counting out loud. Police will monitor your ability to follow their instructions and whether you can maintain your balance.

Finger to Nose

For the Finger to Nose roadside test, police will instruct you to stand with your feet together, keep your arms to your side, close your eyes and tilt your head back. You will then be instructed to touch each index finger to your nose three times. The officer will monitor your ability to follow instructions and whether you can maintain balance, keep your eyes closed and touch your finger to your nose correctly.

Romberg Balance Test

The Romberg Balance Test involves police instructing you to estimate the passage of around 30 seconds with your head tilted back and your eyes closed. The officer will evaluate whether your “internal clock” is too fast or too slow, to help determine whether you have been affected by drugs or alcohol. Your ability to follow instructions and maintain your balance will be monitored closely by the police officer.

Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus

In this position, the officer asks you to follow his finger or another object to the extreme left and the extreme right. While you do this, the officer will track your eyeball to see if your eye starts to shake at some point.

Parker, Colorado DUI Attorney: 4th DUI is a Felony

Normally, a DUI is a misdemeanor in Castle Rock or Lone Tree. Recently, however, Colorado law made it so that a fourth DUI is a class 4 felony. A class 4 felony can lead to a Colorado Department of Corrections sentence of up to 6 years. Other criminal offenses which can warrant class 4 felony charges after three prior convictions include DUI per se, DWAI, Vehicular Homicide involving alcohol or Vehicular Assault involving alcohol. If a person has been convicted of any of these criminal offenses and receives a new DUI conviction, they can face felony DUI charges. However, even with three of any of these criminal offenses on a criminal record, an initial conviction (getting one DUI) can be charged as a felony. It is always wise to consult a Castle Rock DUI lawyer or Parker DUI lawyer from Sawyer Legal Group if you are facing charges of a DUI, whether for the first time or not.

Douglas County DUI Lawyer: Blood Alcohol Content in Castle Rock and Douglas County DUI Cases

If police feel they have enough reason to make an arrest for DUI in Castle Rock or Douglas County, you will be taken to the Castle Rock Police Department, Douglas County Jail, or a hospital to have your Blood Alcohol Content tested. At this location, you must choose between a blood test or breath test to measure your BAC. It is always best to choose to submit to a blood or breath test in Castle Rock or Douglas County, since refusing to do so will result in the loss of your Colorado driver’s license for at least one (1) year. In Castle Rock and Douglas County, if your BAC is 0.08 or higher, there is a presumption that you were driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both alcohol and drugs. At .05-.079, officers will charge a DWAI. Police and Castle Rock District Attorneys will then use your Blood Alcohol Content level (BAC), as well as other indicators, as evidence in court that you committed DUI. It’s imperative you have a criminal defense attorney fighting by your side in court when it comes to charges of Driving Under the Influence.

Douglas County Castle Rock DUI Lawyer: Call Us at 303-265-1950

At Sawyer Legal Group, a Parker DUI lawyer will work tirelessly to mount a solid defense in your Douglas County DUI case. We will study the discovery and police reports in your DUI case, evaluate where the District Attorney is coming from, set a date for trial, or work out a favorable plea bargain deal. There are a variety of plea bargain deals, which can have different effects on your probation term, fines and other treatment requirements. A Parker DUI lawyer from our office will uncover whether you were arrested without probable cause and whether the evidence supports the DUI charges you’re facing. You cannot afford to work with a part-time criminal defense lawyer who specializes in other types of law in addition to criminal law when charged with DUI. Instead, you need a full-time, devoted Parker DUI lawyer from Sawyer Legal Group, LLC. Our lawyers practice 100% criminal defense and know DUI law inside and out. Call a Parker DUI lawyer right away to schedule a free initial consultation and discuss your DUI case in more detail.

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