| Whenever you choose to get behind the wheel while | | | | charges and also as strong evidence to support a DUI |
| you are intoxicated, you risk being pulled over and | | | | conviction. |
| arrested for drunk driving. Police officers have a | | | | If you choose not to comply with the Implied Consent |
| number of methods to help determine whether or not | | | | Law, you are not guaranteed protection from arrest. |
| you are drunk beyond the legal limit, including field | | | | You may still be arrested if a police officer has reason |
| sobriety tests, blood or urine samples, and breathalyzer | | | | to believe that you are drunk. If he or she can provide |
| tests. If you are pulled over you may be asked to | | | | other evidence that you were intoxicated beyond the |
| submit to one or more of the above tests to | | | | legal limit, you may still receive a DUI conviction. In |
| determine your drunkenness. | | | | addition to facing the penalties for a DUI, you will also |
| What is Implied Consent? | | | | be subject to the penalties for withdrawing implied |
| All states now have some form of an Implied Consent | | | | consent, called Refusal. Some states classify Refusal |
| Law. An Implied Consent Law means that, whenever | | | | as a crime, so even if you are found to be innocent on |
| you choose to drive on the roads in a state, you are | | | | DUI charges, you may still end up with a criminal record |
| automatically agreeing to consent to blood, urine, or | | | | for refusing to submit to a blood, urine, or breathalyzer |
| breathalyzer tests if you are pulled over for drunk | | | | test. |
| driving. These tests tell the officer whether your blood | | | | Why You May Need a Lawyer |
| alcohol content (BAC) level is above the legal limit. | | | | DUI and Refusal charges carry serious penalties if you |
| Refusing to comply with an officer's request to take | | | | are convicted and result in a criminal record which |
| one of these tests results in penalties set by that | | | | could hurt you personally and professionally. A DUI |
| particular state. | | | | defense lawyer is familiar with the common types of |
| The Consequences of Implied Consent | | | | evidence used by the prosecution and knows how to |
| If you comply with the Implied Consent Law and take | | | | find weaknesses in the case against you. A good |
| a blood, urine, or breathalyzer test, you may be able to | | | | lawyer will aggressively defend your case and fight to |
| immediately prove that you are under the legal BAC | | | | defend your rights in a court of law. |
| limit and you may be released without charges. | | | | For sound legal advice on defending against DUI and |
| However, if the test shows that you are over the legal | | | | Refusal charges, visit the website of Rhode Island DUI |
| limit, this can be used as grounds for arrest on DUI | | | | defense attorney James Powderly here. |