Steps To Take If You Have Been Pulled Over For OWI

If you are pulled over on suspicion of operating while intoxicated (OWI), the choices you make during the first few moments of the stop can be critical to influencing the outcome of your case. As a motorist, you do have a number of rights guaranteed to you by federal or state law, but it is unlikely that the police officer will spell them out for you.

Intoxicated driving cases are frequently complex and the evidence collected when you are pulled over for OWI can be challenged if it was obtained unlawfully. It may also be challenged if the interpretation of the results can be skewed by factors beyond your control. At Spellman Law, P.C., we frequently represent motorists charged with OWI. We examine the evidence against our clients closely, looking for opportunities to challenge questionable evidence or negotiate an optimal solution for them.

Actions To Take At Your OWI Stop

Knowing what to do — and what not to do — during an OWI stop relates to understanding how police collect evidence during the interaction. Here are several key actions to take during your stop:

1. Be cooperative, but not talkative. Do not answer direct or even casual questions about what you were doing, deferring all interviews until you have spoken with a lawyer.
2. Decline to take field sobriety tests and a preliminary breath test at the stop. These tests are voluntary. However, be aware you may be arrested and taken to the police station for further testing.
3. Ask to speak to an attorney in confidence immediately. The police are required to let you attempt to reach your lawyer before performing a breath or other test to determine blood alcohol content at the station.
4. Remain observant of police activities throughout the stop. Take notes if you can, and document any potential unlawful searches by police of your car.

Of these actions, calling your attorney is perhaps the most crucial. Our legal team can visit you at the police station if needed and be present for questioning and other procedures.

You Can Fight Your OWI Charges, And We Can Help

You do not have to automatically plead guilty to an OWI charge. Contact our office in West Des Moines at 515-222-4330 or email us. We serve clients across the state of Iowa.