Blog 2011 February Kansas City DUI Checkpoint results in 17 DUI Charges Previous Post | Next Post Kansas City DUI Checkpoint results in 17 DUI Charges Posted By DUI Attorney Charles Green || 20-Feb-2011 According to Kansas City Missouri Police, seventeen people were arrested for DUI during a DUI Checkpoint that ran late Friday February 18th, until early Saturday. Out of 497 vehicles stopped, seventeen were charged with DUI, a rate of less than 3%. With the weather warming up you can expect more DUI checkpoints, in both Kansas and Missouri. When you go through a checkpoint, keep in mind that the Officer's first question is going to be 'Have you had anything to drink tonight?'. Your affirmative response automatically gives that Officer probable cause to begin a DUI investigation. In other words, 'I had a glass of wine with dinner...' is enough for you to be taken out of your car, detained and given the full range of Field Sobriety Testing and BAC testing. Also keep in mind that if you have been stopped at a DUI checkpoint, you have the right to refuse any and all Field Sobriety Tests. Refusing the Field Sobriety Tests is not a crime in Kansas or Missouri (not yet), but refusing a Blood or Breath test can have serious potential consequences on your Drivers License, and you can still be charged with DUI based upon the Officer's observations, even without the Field Sobriety Tests or BAC evidence. Some common DUI Checkpoint locations used by KCPD include 77th and Wornall, 40th and Main, 51st and Ward Parkway, and 34th and Broadway. DUI checkpoints in KCMO usually run between 11:00p.m. and 3:00a.m. Having a drink and driving is not illegal, but if you think you may have had enough to be over the limit, calling a cab is always safer and much less expensive than dealing with a DUI charge. Unfortunately, it is easy to have a few drinks and drive home, without committing any traffic infractions, only to be stopped at a DUI Checkpoint and be charged and arrested for DUI. Many of the clients we represent in these situations are first-time offenders with no previous criminal history who simply made the wrong decision. If you have been charged with a DUI at a checkpoint remember there was no 'probable cause' for the initial stop. Unlike a typical DUI case, there is no other ticket written for 'Improper Lane Use' or 'Weaving'. The police have to build a solid case from the ground up. We defend DUI Checkpoint cases every day in Kansas and Missouri and we can help in defending your rights. Contact our office today to discuss your case. Categories: DUI, DUI Checkpoint, Fourth Amendment: Seizure or Arrest, Kansas City DUI Checkpoint, Kansas DUI Laws, Missouri DUI Laws Share Post
Blog 2011 February Kansas City DUI Checkpoint results in 17 DUI Charges Previous Post | Next Post Kansas City DUI Checkpoint results in 17 DUI Charges Posted By DUI Attorney Charles Green || 20-Feb-2011 According to Kansas City Missouri Police, seventeen people were arrested for DUI during a DUI Checkpoint that ran late Friday February 18th, until early Saturday. Out of 497 vehicles stopped, seventeen were charged with DUI, a rate of less than 3%. With the weather warming up you can expect more DUI checkpoints, in both Kansas and Missouri. When you go through a checkpoint, keep in mind that the Officer's first question is going to be 'Have you had anything to drink tonight?'. Your affirmative response automatically gives that Officer probable cause to begin a DUI investigation. In other words, 'I had a glass of wine with dinner...' is enough for you to be taken out of your car, detained and given the full range of Field Sobriety Testing and BAC testing. Also keep in mind that if you have been stopped at a DUI checkpoint, you have the right to refuse any and all Field Sobriety Tests. Refusing the Field Sobriety Tests is not a crime in Kansas or Missouri (not yet), but refusing a Blood or Breath test can have serious potential consequences on your Drivers License, and you can still be charged with DUI based upon the Officer's observations, even without the Field Sobriety Tests or BAC evidence. Some common DUI Checkpoint locations used by KCPD include 77th and Wornall, 40th and Main, 51st and Ward Parkway, and 34th and Broadway. DUI checkpoints in KCMO usually run between 11:00p.m. and 3:00a.m. Having a drink and driving is not illegal, but if you think you may have had enough to be over the limit, calling a cab is always safer and much less expensive than dealing with a DUI charge. Unfortunately, it is easy to have a few drinks and drive home, without committing any traffic infractions, only to be stopped at a DUI Checkpoint and be charged and arrested for DUI. Many of the clients we represent in these situations are first-time offenders with no previous criminal history who simply made the wrong decision. If you have been charged with a DUI at a checkpoint remember there was no 'probable cause' for the initial stop. Unlike a typical DUI case, there is no other ticket written for 'Improper Lane Use' or 'Weaving'. The police have to build a solid case from the ground up. We defend DUI Checkpoint cases every day in Kansas and Missouri and we can help in defending your rights. Contact our office today to discuss your case. Categories: DUI, DUI Checkpoint, Fourth Amendment: Seizure or Arrest, Kansas City DUI Checkpoint, Kansas DUI Laws, Missouri DUI Laws Share Post