Four Things You Should Understand When You Are Charged With A DUI
Posted on: 4 September 2018
Driving under the influence is a serious charge. Even when your blood alcohol level is slightly over the legal limit, the consequences of your DUI arrest can be painful. And this can be true even for a first time offender. You can lose your license, and depending upon what you do for a living, you could lose your job. Naturally, your insurance rates are going to increase dramatically. The following are a few things you should know.
You are not likely to beat the charges
This is something everybody wants to know about, but the truth is, a DUI charge is hard to beat. Challenging the arrest on grounds that you were pulled over without cause is rarely effective. An officer will only say you were driving erratically. Equally unlikely is claiming the breathalyzer machine malfunctioned in some way.
Medical conditions can make breathalyzer readings inaccurate
There are, however, a couple of defenses that can be effective. There are certain gastroesophageal reflux diseases and conditions such as heartburn that can create a distorted reading for blood alcohol levels. People with hypoglycemia can experience extremely low blood sugar that creates ketones, and these ketones convert to alcohol. The same condition can occur with a diabetic when their blood sugar is driven low from a combination of insulin injections and a lack of food.
Low carbohydrate diets can make breathalyzer readings inaccurate
Some people are on a strict low carbohydrate diet to lose weight, but diabetics are often on these same diets as well. It is easy to consume so few carbohydrates that your body goes into a state of ketosis. Although this is perfectly natural, the result is the production of low amounts of isopropyl alcohol that can easily fool a breathalyzer machine.
An attorney may save some of your driving privileges
Even if you cannot get around the DUI charge, an attorney may be able to save some of your driving privileges. Each state has its own set of rules, but most states give a judge the discretion of allowing a person convicted of a DUI to drive under certain circumstances. For example, if it is difficult to get to work without driving, you may have a limited time to drive on certain days, so you can travel to and from your job. Sometimes there are hardship cases where a person drives during their job. A driver of a delivery truck is a good example. In this case, you may be able to drive your truck during working hours. Whatever the possibilities are for you, an attorney is your best chance of realizing them.
You should always hire an attorney when arrested for DUI. Although you may not be able to beat the charge, an attorney can often mitigate the consequences of your DUI arrest. Contact a firm, like DUI Lawyers of Las Vegas, for more help.
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