Most people suffer anxiety when they are stopped by the police. To help enforce your safety from criminal charges it is essential to be informed of your legal rights during a traffic stop.
Field sobriety testing, chemical tests, and your legal rights are three crucial parts of a traffic stop that you can learn about below:
What is a field sobriety test?
To assess if a motorist is intoxicated, law enforcement will perform a series of physical and mental exams known as a field sobriety test. These exams frequently challenge you to do activities like standing on one leg, walking straight, or keeping your eyes on a pen.
It’s critical to realize that refusal of a field sobriety test is lawful in most jurisdictions. Refusing, though, can result in further steps, including an officer suspecting you’re drunk and perhaps asking to do a chemical test.
What is a chemical test?
A chemical test, blood test or urine test help gauge your body’s alcohol content. Chemical testing may be mandated by law and rejection may result in consequences like license suspension, field sobriety tests are often elective. It is normally preferable to cooperate with a chemical test to avoid severe criminal charges.
What are your legal rights?
You have several more legal rights during a traffic stop that can help protect you from criminal charges. For example, you are protected from searches without reasonable suspicion under the Fourth Amendment. The Fifth Amendment also protects your right against self-incrimination. And, the Sixth Amendment gives you the right to legal representation.
It may be crucial to reach out for help to understand your legal rights.
