When a DUI attorney takes on your case, one of the first things that he or she will assess is how strong the evidence is against you. While there are plenty of DUI cases with fairly weak evidence, there are also those that will almost certainly lead to a guilty verdict. You might like the idea of defending your name and fighting the charge, but your attorney may suggest that pleading guilty is the best choice. One of the reasons that an attorney will make this suggestion is to save you the embarrassment that fighting the charges may bring. Embarrassment is particularly likely when the arresting police officer can provide video evidence, including the following.
Your Poor Driving
The first type of video evidence that the prosecution can show in your case is likely footage that the arresting officer captured with his or her dashboard camera. In many cases, this evidence will be embarrassing and incriminating. For example, the footage may show you weaving through traffic in a manner that most people would associate with being under the influence of alcohol. Or, the footage could even show you appearing to be asleep in the driver's seat of your vehicle as the police officer approaches.
Your Failed Field Sobriety Test
Police officers will usually place those suspected of driving under the influence through their field sobriety tests in plain view of their vehicle's dashboard camera. This is another type of video evidence that the prosecution will show in court that can be embarrassing and harmful to your efforts to fight the case. You may have performed very poorly on your field sobriety tests, perhaps stumbling as you attempted to stand on one leg or slurring your words as you attempted to answer the officer's questions.
Your Actions At The Police Station
The prosecution can even show video footage of your actions at the police station from accessing the many security camera feeds in this location. These, too, can embarrass you and make your ability to successfully fight the DUI charge difficult. This footage may depict you struggling to walk or stand upright, speaking in a manner that clearly suggests severe intoxication, and perhaps even acting belligerently and needing to be subdued by one or more police officers. Your attorney's suggestion of pleading guilty might not seem very appealing when you first hear it, but if doing so saves you the embarrassment or having the court see this footage, it may be the best scenario.
For more information, reach out to a DUI lawyer.
