Don’t Give the Pricks the Satisfaction
Hi,
My name is Jeffrey Vallens, and I’m a criminal defense lawyer in Southern California. I’ve been practicing criminal and DUI defense for nearly 30 years. For years, people have been asking me questions like, “What should I do if I get pulled over for DUI?” and “Which test should I take, blood or breath?” and especially, “Will I go to jail?”.
Today I’m here to tell you not to give the pricks the satisfaction. What does that mean? Any cop worth his weight in dog shit will tell you that the little things always get them the big things. Sure, some people get pulled over for weaving between lane lines and generally driving as if they are “drunk”. A lot more people get pulled over for every other little vehicle code violation. Different cops look for different stuff.
My old boss used to like to pull people over for having things hanging down from the rearview mirror. That’s right, anything that obstructs your view is out the windshield is a violation, including a significant crack in the window itself.
What does this mean to you? When I say, “Don’t give the pricks the satisfaction”, what I mean is, don’t give law enforcement any reason to pull you over that can possibly be avoided. Make sure all your lights are working, including your license plate light. Yes, you have one of those. Make sure your window tint isn’t too dark. No modified exhaust. No blaring or thumping radio. You may think it’s cool, but they don’t. Make sure your registration tags are current. Make sure you have a front license plate. Make sure nothing is leaking from your car, hanging off your car, and that your car is otherwise in decent working order. Signal your lane changes. Only pass on the left, driving within 7 miles an hour of the posted speed, don’t follow too closely, make a complete stop at stop signs and before you make a right turn on a red light. Actually, obey street signs that say things like, “No Left Turn” or “No Right on Red”. Remember that they are not just suggestions. And, when it’s 3 in the morning and there is no traffic out on the road, be even more careful.
Most cops don’t like to work too hard. They go for the low hanging fruit. If you don’t give them a reason to shake you down, they will quickly move on to the next person who attracts their attention.
Remember, once they have a reason to pull you over, they are allowed to speak to you, ask questions, look around the inside of your car and sometimes more. If you deny them the right to pull you over, you also deny them the right to do further snooping. They can’t smell your breath if they can’t pull you over. They can’t ask you for a field sobriety test if they don’t speak to you and hear you slur your speech.
Don’t give the pricks the satisfaction of letting them pull you over. Getting pulled over gives cops the chance at the prolonged investigation for DUI or other crimes. However, if you do get pulled over for DUI, please read one of my blogs about getting pulled over for DUI.
If you or someone close to you has been arrested for DUI or any other crime, call a lawyer who knows how to help:
Attorney Jeffrey Vallens (818) 783-5700 or (805) 230-3651
Email me at: jv@4criminaldefense.com or visit my sites:
www.4criminaldefense.com and www.westlakecriminaldefense.com