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Checklist: What to Do if You're Pulled Over for OWI in Wisconsin

Criminal Defense Attorney Madison WI provides these tips if you are pulled over for OWI in Wisconsin

Being pulled over by police never feels comfortable. If you have been pulled over for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (OWI), it can be downright scary. The consequences for a conviction are severe, and can affect you for years to come. You can help yourself even before finding a criminal defense attorney Madison WI by following some basic guidelines.

  1. Pull Over Carefully: You need to keep yourself calm and pull over as though this is just a routine stop. If you do not, you risk providing probable cause for the police officer to require a sobriety test, search your vehicle, or arrest you on the spot.
  2. Remain Calm: Similarly, take a deep breath and relax. Sit up straight and respond to the police officer’s questions respectfully. While you don’t want to talk excessively, you need to answer any questions asked. Erratic behavior will only create suspicion, and potentially create probable cause. Look the officer in the eye and be polite.
  3. Cooperate: While you may refuse the field sobriety test, you need to be polite and respectful in doing so. Usually, it’s best to take a break or to submit if requested by police. Moreover, you may be arrested when you refuse. This can be embarrassing and frightening, but you need to cooperate with the officer arresting you. Never fight or resist the police. You will lose the battle.
  4. Contact an Attorney: As soon as possible, contact a criminal defense attorney in Madison, Wisconsin. You need to understand your rights, and have someone protecting them. The consequences of an OWI conviction in Wisconsin are severe, so you need someone on your side sooner rather than later.

If you have been arrested for OWI in the Madison area, you should not leave your fate in the hands of the police or take it on yourself. Contact the professionals at Eisenberg Law Office; we have the experience and ability to protect you in an OWI case.