Colorado sobriety checkpoints are a way for law enforcement officers to check many drivers at one time for intoxicated drivers. During the stop, officers look for visible signs that a driver may have been drinking. These signs include slurred words or a smell of alcohol. Officers must ask you for your permission if they decide to search your vehicle during sobriety checkpoints. Depending on the results at the checkpoint, you may need to talk to a Colorado Springs DUI defense attorney.
DUI at Sobriety Checkpoints
If the officers at a sobriety checkpoint suspect that a driver may be drunk, they can not only search your vehicle but ask you to perform certain tests. Among the tests they may ask you to perform is a breathalyzer test or blood test to determine your blood alcohol content. They may also ask you to perform field sobriety tests as additional means of determining a DUI.
Colorado sobriety checkpoints must be performed under certain stringent guidelines. Tests must be performed properly, and the officers must ask permission before performing searches or certain tests. If the officers at the checkpoint do not follow these guidelines to the letter, a DUI defense lawyer may be able to have the results of that stop declared inadmissible in court.
Legally speaking, officers must provide an alternate route for drivers when they encounter sobriety checkpoints. Avoiding the checkpoint does not automatically mean that officers can pull you over citing probable cause. If you find that this has happened to you, your Colorado Springs DUI defense attorney can prove this in court and have any charges reduced.
If you feel that your DUI charge is a result of an illegal stop or an improperly performed test, you should contact a defense attorney as quickly as possible. A skilled DUI defense attorney can look at all of the evidence involved in your case and determine if it is viable. Sobriety checkpoints are legal, but only if all of the proper procedures are followed.
Contact a Colorado Springs DUI Lawyer
If you need a sobriety checkpoints defense lawyer who will fight for you: don’t hesitate, contact us today to find out how we can protect your rights.
I am a lawyer with a track record of success and reputation for total personal commitment to my clients. Contact me for a free consultation to discuss and evaluate your case. Call 719-387-0616 today.
