The Skill To Defend You

What are defenses against OWI charges?

A conviction for operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol can have lifelong consequences. It can keep you from earning a future job, as it can stay on your record for years or longer. If you are facing OWI charges, a good defense can make all the difference in your case’s outcome.

When a first offense can result in months in jail and hundreds of dollars in a fine, and a second offense can result in a felony. What are the examples of strong defenses against OWI charges?

Police errors

Sometimes, the best defense is a good offense. If the police officers involved with the charges made any mistakes, an experienced attorney might be able to get a judge to dismiss the case entirely. Examples of these mistakes include pulling someone over without reasonable suspicion or improperly conducting a sobriety test.

Mishandling of evidence

If the test results or blood samples become subject to error, it can become a strong defense. Fermentation, contamination, or even improper labels can corrupt a sample. In some cases, taking too long to run a test can also become grounds for a strong defense.

Duress

If someone forces a person under the influence of drugs or alcohol to drive through the threat of physical harm, then the threatened person was driving under duress. Driving under duress is a strong defense against DUI charges.

Emergency

If driving while intoxicated is a matter of life or death, such as driving someone to the hospital, it may be a viable defense against OWI charges.

Explore all options

An experienced criminal defense attorney will know what to look for when building a defense against OWI charges. Factors like police errors, evidence issues, duress, or necessity can all act as viable defenses for someone facing these charges.