New Windsor Attorneys Helping You Understand Your Options Following Drunk Driving Charges
Drunk driving laws have become stricter over the past few decades. Along with the increasing severity of drunk driving laws and penalties has come a growing perception that, once pulled over, a driver has few legal options. Drivers, though, have many rights. Once you are pulled over, it's important that you understand these rights.
The Hudson Valley DWI and criminal defense lawyers of Silver, Forrester & Lesser, P.C., have helped New York state residents understand and defend their rights following drunk driving charges for more than 45 years. A key factor in the legal process regarding any arrest is reasonable cause/probable cause.
"Probable cause" refers to the requirement that police officers have a reason to pull you over. If a police officer didn't have a legally valid reason to pull you over, the case will be dismissed.
To help you understand, imagine that a police officer pulled you over because he or she punched your license plate number into a database as you drove by. This is not probable cause: Police officers must pull you over due to an observed violation.
Likewise, a mere swerve or sudden stop may not mean there was probable cause to pull you over. Why? Because minor variations in driving occur all the time.
When you call us following a drunk driving charge, one of the first things we will do is investigate whether police had probable cause to pull you over.
We have investigated probable cause following thousands of criminal charges since 1965, and can make motions and conduct your probable cause hearing to demonstrate to a judge that there was no probable cause for your arrest. For more information, contact us at 845-764-4757 or 866-687-1338.
