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DUI Private Investigators
Most people who operate motor vehicles in the United States and elsewhere do so in a safe manner while out on the road going from place to place. Sadly, not everyone does though, because some individuals consume alcohol and/or other drugs before and during their driving escapade. This maladaptive, illegal behavior can result in the death of the drug/alcohol user, her/his/their passengers, or even other drivers on the road they crash into because of their impaired driving. When this happens, both law enforcement officers and drunk driving private investigators alike help put together the pieces of what happened.
Driving Under the Influence (DUI) vs. Driving While Impaired (DWI):
There are different levels of impairment while operating a vehicle, according to Oklahoma’s criminal statutes. These include the following differentiations of criminal activity while operating a motor vehicle:
Driving While Impaired (DWI):
Our accident private investigator notes that for the State of Oklahoma to secure a conviction of someone who is driving while impaired, the driver must have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of at least over five hundredths (0.05) but less than eight hundredths (0.08). This is a lower standard than the driving under the influence (DUI) criminal charge, which requires the consumption of more alcohol but also comes with stiffer penalties.
In addition to the BAC levels we described above, to effectively secure a conviction, police and prosecutors must also demonstrate that other evidence of their impairment to the extent that it posed a risk to the public’s safety also existed or that the individual. Sadly, since everything – even transgender medical care – is illegal in Oklahoma, this could be anything as petty as having a taillight out to hanging an air freshener from your rear-view mirror.
Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Under 21:
Since it is illegal for anyone under the age of twenty-one to consume alcohol, our DUI private detective notes that police can catch the with any measurable amount of alcohol and/or other intoxicating drugs in their bodies while driving and subsequently charge them with a crime. Thus, minors under the age of twenty-one, our criminal private detectives warn, must take great care to never have any alcohol or other substances in their bodies when they drive.
Driving Under the Influence (DUI):
The drunk driving accident private investigators at our private investigation agency note that police arrest countless people every year on charges of DUI, DWI, DUI Under 21, and Child Endangerment resulting from the use of alcohol and/or drugs before and/or while operating a motor vehicle. DUI charges require that an individual operating a motor vehicle have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of over eight hundredths (0.08) of a percent. This amount of alcohol in one’s bloodstream amounts to a significant amount of impairment and often leads to terrible automobile accidents. Driving under the influence (DUI) charges carry heavier criminal penalties than less serious driving while intoxicated (DWI) charges carry.
Aggravated Driving Under the Influence (ADUI):
Our accident private investigators in Oklahoma point out that ADUI is indeed the most serious infraction involving operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Our drunk driving private investigations reveal that police who have arrested criminal defendants for these types of offenses have determined via a breathalyzer or blood test that the individual has a BAC of fifteen hundredths of one percent (0.15) or higher.
When a person’s blood alcohol concentration is this high, the individual’s ability to operate a motor vehicle safely is nonexistent. Anyone on the road with this amount of alcohol in their body poses a significant danger to all other drivers, because the risk of a serious or even life-threatening accident is imminent. Our driving while intoxicated private investigator notes that there is zero chance these individuals will successfully pass the field sobriety tests that police officers administer.
Child Endangerment:
Our criminal defense private detectives point out that child endangerment charges for DWI, DUI, DUI Under 21, and ADUI criminal charges happen because the impaired driver knowingly places children in harm’s way by having them in their vehicle while impaired/drunk. Indeed, many children also needlessly die every year in vehicles that drunk and impaired adults drive while transporting children. This is indeed a bad crime, because kids can end up getting badly hurt or even killed.
For those foolish enough to consume too much alcohol or who have partaken in other intoxicating drugs prior to operating a motor vehicle, the associated criminal penalties for these crimes are no bueno. First time offenders usually receive lighter sentences, but for those with continued criminal charges or who already have a long rap sheet of criminal violations, they can expect to serve some jail time. Thus, our criminal defense lawyer notes that the penalties associated with these types of crimes in Oklahoma often include the following:
Driving While Impaired (DWI):
When criminal defendants hire a drunk driving private investigator near me from our private investigation agency in OKC to help serve as part of their criminal defense team, she will help the criminal defense attorney thoroughly review your legal case. Part of this review includes an explanation of possible legal repercussions that our clients may face. This is standard practice for our private detective agency in Oklahoma City.
People a judge or jury find guilty and those who plead guilty or no contest will face criminal penalties and sanctions for driving under the influence while operating a motor vehicle. Our drunk driving accident private detective at the best private investigation agency notes that these penalties in Oklahoma may include the following:
- Fines of at least one hundred dollars but not more than five hundred dollars are possible.
- Defendants may also receive jail time that could last up to six months.
- The judge may also choose to suspend the defendant’s driver’s license for up to thirty days for a first offense, six months for a second violation, and up to an entire year for a third occurrence.
Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Under 21:
DUIs are much more serious than DWIs, because of the level of impairment and thus the greater likelihood of having a car accident that could take another person’s life drastically increase. Thus, the Oklahoma legislature and governor have enacted stricter penalties as consequences for this malfeasance. Thus, our DUI private detective near me notes that the penalties for DUI criminal charges include the following:
- DUI First Offense:
- You may face fines of up to one thousand dollars.
- The judge may decide to throw you into jail for up to one year.
- The magistrate or judge may choose to suspend your driver’s license for up to six months.
- Two or More DUI Convictions/Offenses:
People who keep making poor choices and who incur multiple DUI charges will undoubtedly face stricter consequences. Our criminal defense lawyers point out that criminal penalties in these circumstances often include the following:
- Judges often give out fines of up to twenty-five hundred dollars for second offenses, and on your third charge the law allows judges to fine a person up to five thousand dollars.
- Judges start to throw the book at criminal defendants when they start racking up multiple DUIs. Oklahoma’s laws allow them to imprison people convicted with multiple DUIs for up to five years for a second offense and up to ten years for a third offense.
Judges are also permitted to suspend the driver’s license of a person for up to one year for a second DUI offense and up to two years for those careless or otherwise addicted enough to obtain a third conviction for DUI. Indeed, people who are constantly drunk while driving have no business operating a motor vehicle.
Aggravated Driving Under the Influence (ADUI):
Our car accident private investigator has seen many people find that the government has charged with them with ADUI. Our DUI private investigations often reveal that the penalties they sometimes face are very extreme, because of their significant BAC levels. Thus, Oklahoma’s judges have statutory authority to dole out the following punishments for aggravated driving under the influence charges:
- The judge can issue a fine of up to one thousand dollars.
- Courts can also remand the defendant to prison for up to one year.
- Judges can also choose to suspend a convicted defendant’s driver’s license for up to six months.
Actual Physical Control (APC):
Many people think they are free and clear of criminal charges, if they are not actually driving. However, even if they are sleeping behind the wheel and have no intention of driving, if they have the keys and thus have the potential to operate the vehicle, cops can still arrest these individuals. This is, our private eyes say, because they have actual physical control of the vehicle and thus have the potential to operate the vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Thus, the criminal penalty for APC is the same as it is for DUI.
DUI-Drugs (DUI-D):
For those who have intoxicating amounts of illegal substances or any other substance the law prohibits people from using while operating a motor vehicle, the laws allow police officers to arrest them. Our private investigators in OKC note that the penalties for this crime include the following:
- Judges can impose fines upon these defendants of up to one thousand dollars.
- Courts can throw these defendants into jail for up to one year for a DUI-D conviction.
- Defendants can find that the government has suspended their driver’s licenses for up to six months.
Child Endangerment:
For those with child endangerment convictions, the penalties increase, and these individuals can find themselves in hot water. The owners of our private investigation agency in Oklahoma City point out that the people committing the DUI, ADUI, DUI Under 21, or DWI are not only placing their lives and those of other adults in danger, but also those of especially innocent minor children. Thus, our criminal private detective notes that the associated penalties for committing these crimes can include the following:
- The courts can impose a fine of up to five thousand dollars for a child endangerment offense, not including the additional up to two thousand dollars for the DUI charge.
- Child endangerment charges carry up to four potential years of prison time.
Judges can also suspend the defendant’s driver’s license for the same duration they would for a DUI crime.
Criminal Defense Attorneys Explain How Criminal Defendants in DUI & DWI Cases Can Protect Themselves from Prosecution:
The Oklahoma criminal defense lawyers our private investigation agency in Nichols Hills works with have some vital pieces of advice for defendants the government has accused of driving while intoxicated and other crimes. These general yet vital pieces of free advice often include, but are not limited to, the following:
Immediately Invoke Your Right to Remain Silent:
One of the best things you can do to help your legal case is to keep your mouth absolutely shut. The only four words you are ever permitted to say, according to the best criminal defense attorney in Oklahoma, Dustin Phillips, is, “I want my attorney.” Otherwise, say nothing to no one. Do not speak to your best friend, your family, other inmates, law enforcement officers, or your bail bondsman in OKC like Tamara Madewell.
You never know when any of those people will turn on you and cooperate with police and prosecutors. Our criminal defense private investigators have seen many defendants’ relationships with family and friends change, fellow inmates wanting shorter sentences snitching to police, and more. The best thing you can do is to always keep your mouth shut.
Remember that law enforcement officers will use everything you say and do against you in court. They are not your friends, no matter how many drinks or sandwiches they offer or how kind they seem. They are out to solve a crime and nothing more. Most, if not all, police interrogators have received special police training which allows them tactical advantages that often include being nice, friendly, manipulative, and some are even coercive. Remember that police do maintain the legal right to lie to you during suspect interrogations.
Hire a Criminal Defense Lawyer ASAP:
Innocence cannot defend itself. Thus, even innocent, wrongfully accused suspects should immediately hire the best criminal defense lawyer to represent them in court. Once done, police may no longer question or contact you without your attorney present. This will stop all calls and visits to you, though they can and will continue to contact alleged victims, witnesses, and do other things to try to solve the criminal case.
Do Not Sign Anything nor Waive Any of Your Legal Rights:
While it is important to comply with all mandates like field sobriety tests, breathalyzers, and blood tests, our drunk driving private investigator at our private investigation agency in Piedmont always stresses to never sign any document the police or prosecutors present nor to waive any legal rights. So, do not submit to DNA tests, searches, or any other intrusive action unless the police have a warrant or your criminal defense attorney in Oklahoma says you must comply. Failure to abide by this advice will jeopardize your entire case.
Hire the Best Bail Bondsman in Oklahoma ASAP:
It is imperative that you always do your due diligence when you hire a bail bondsman to write a bail bond in Oklahoma that will get you out of jail. Some, like CJ’s Bail Bonds, have a notoriously atrocious reputation. You can just look at their horrific reviews to see why. Others, like Bail Bonds by Tamara, have a wonderful owner who really cares about her clients and will collaborate with them to help them find success.
Most bail bondsmen write bonds for ten percent of the bond amount, with some requiring payment again every year while others do not. Ask around, check reviews, and find out what requirements each bail bondsman in Oklahoma City has for their clients, before you hire one.
Comply with All Mandatory Directives Police Officers Give You:
The law will require all suspects in criminal cases to comply with certain limited demands law enforcement officers make. If they have probable cause, our negligent homicide private detective notes that they have the legal authority to partake in field sobriety tests, breathalyzer tests, and/or blood tests to check your blood alcohol concentration. If you do not comply with mandates like this when they have probable cause, they will take you to jail and charge you with a crime. Likewise, never resist police if they opt to arrest you, or they will add resisting arrest charges to your indictments.
Unless they have a warrant or in some limited cases probable cause, they cannot take your DNA, force you to let them search your vehicle or body, check your cell phone, or require you to give up your passwords/Face ID, etc. Never voluntarily give police access to any evidence which could potentially incriminate you or otherwise implicate you in a crime. Keep in mind that police can legally lie to you during interrogations, and some unscrupulous officers may even take DNA or cell phones and plant evidence or other on your or your belongings. Do not make their job easy for them, whether you are guilty or innocent.
Ask Whether You Are Under Arrest or Free to Leave:
If police are not detaining or arresting you, then you should be free to leave. Ask them this very clearly and directly, to ascertain whether you may leave the area. Do not voluntarily stay and answer any questions they ask.
Statistics on the Number of People Arrested for DUI and DWI in the USA:
Police officers arrested 804,926 people for drunk driving in 2024. This is an incredibly high number, with a majority of these occurring in Hawaii, Texas, and South Carolina.
Statistics on the Number of People Injured or Killed Due to DUI and DWI Accidents in the USA:
Statistics in the USA, according to our negligent homicide private detective, reveal that each day in the United States thirty-four people died in a drunk driving crash in 2023. Indeed, 12,429 human beings died in 2023 from alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents in 2023, which is a ton of lives lost very needlessly.
How Drunk Driving Private Detectives Investigate Drunk Driving Accidents:
Field Sobriety Tests:
Police officers often give field sobriety tests to people they have probable cause on and suspect of driving while impaired or under the influence. Field sobriety tests often include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:
NHTSA Standardized Tests:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has set forth three extremely specific standardized field sobriety tests which help law enforcement officers determine whether someone is impaired when operating a motor vehicle. If they pass these field sobriety tests, they are okay to continue driving. If the examinees do not perform them satisfactorily, the police officers will administer breathalyzer test or a more accurate blood test. Current best practices consider these three standardized field sobriety tests to be the gold standard for initial assessments of potentially impaired drivers:
Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) Test:
Our accident private investigator points out that this standardized field sobriety test is especially helpful as an initial assessment to gauge whether a driver has consumed high amounts of alcohol. The law enforcement officer holds a pen or pencil in front of the suspect and moves it back and forth, looking to see if the eyes involuntarily twitch. If they do, it might serve as an indicator of alcohol consumption at unsafe levels for safely operating a motor vehicle.
Walk-and-Turn (WAT) Test:
Our drunk driving accident private detective has seen plenty of officers utilize this standardized field sobriety test on people to see if they are intoxicated or otherwise impaired. Indeed, people who are too unsteady on their feet with poor balance and coordination are not usually the type of individuals people in society want behind the wheel of a large moving piece of metal.
When conducting this standardized field sobriety test, police officers have the individual divide her/his/their attention and take nine steps that are heel-to-toe, before turning around and taking nine steps back to the original spot in the same manner. To make this field sobriety test even more challenging, this divided attention field sobriety test also requires the individual to count while taking the steps.
The police officer carefully checks for eight different signs of intoxication or other impairment in the individual while the person is attempting to complete this formal standardized assessment. The law enforcement officer will be on the lookout for things like whether the examinee starts the test too early, loses her/his/their balance, and an inability to stay on the line itself.
One-Leg Stand (OLS) Test:
The staff at our private investigation agency in OKC points out that the third formal, standardized field sobriety test requires the examinee to stand on one foot while counting. Criminal private investigators see prosecutors proffer this test in court as evidence of the driver’s ability to balance and evaluate their acuity at divided attention tasks.
Non-standardized Field Sobriety Test:
In addition to the NHTSA standardized field sobriety tests that many police officers use to help determine if a person operating a motor vehicle is impaired or otherwise under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Our death private investigators at the best private investigation agency near me note that these tactics include, but are not limited to, the following:
Handwriting Tests:
While many people just have bad, illegible handwriting for a variety of reasons, some law enforcement officers believe that making people write something on a piece of paper is a decent way to determine if they are under the influence of alcohol and/or other intoxicating substances.
Finger-to-Nose Test:
During this field sobriety test, the police officers instruct the suspects to tilt their head back, close their eyes, and touch the tip of their nose with their both their index fingers, one at a time.
Counting/Number Test:
Police officers can also have the suspects count out loud forward or backward, often in a sequence. Our drunk driving accident private detective sees this happen quite often, though the ability to count does not necessarily accurately assess whether someone is intoxicated.
Hand Pat Test:
This is when the police officer has the person she suspects of drunk driving alternate hand patting with palm-up and palm-down patterns.
Alphabet Test:
A LEO can also direct a suspect to say the alphabet forward or backward, but who honestly knows how to say the alphabet backward with much skill?
Romberg Balance Test:
This is an awkward test where the officer directs the suspect to stand with her/his/their feet together and tilt her/his/their back for a certain period to assess distortions of the person’s internal clock.
Picking Up Coins Test:
To assess hand-eye coordination, some police officers. Will take out coins and ask their suspects to try to pick them up. Why not just bring out a video game console though instead? It might be more fun if the assessment for hand-eye coordination involved video games though.
Finger Count Test
Another non-standardized field sobriety test is when the police have the person touch her/his/their thumb tip to the tip of each finger in a sequence.
Most times, law enforcement officers (LEOs) utilize the more reliable, standardized NHTSA field sobriety tests. These, our private investigators in Oklahoma note, tend to hold up better in court. This is because they have more empirical evidence behind them showing they have higher reliability and validity rates. Nevertheless, some LEOs use them anyway.
Blood Tests:
Vehicular manslaughter private investigators and police officers alike often prefer the use of blood alcohol tests on suspects in drunk driving arrests. Many of the suspects and their criminal defense attorneys in Oklahoma also prefer blood tests over breathalyzer tests, because while they require transport to a facility to draw the blood and consume more time, they are also more accurate than the breathalyzer tests and often yield far better results.
Black Box Data from Newer Vehicles:
Newer vehicles usually have the same type of black box data that airplanes have. Whenever a plane crashes, authorities can recover the indestructible black box that can help investigators learn what happened and why the plane crash occurred. Personal injury lawyers, insurance adjustors, prosecutors, and auto accident private detectives likewise love pulling the black box data in certain vehicle accidents to help find out what caused a vehicle to crash.
Crime Scene Photos & Videos:
Our negligent homicide private detectives that conduct negligent homicide private investigations also use crime scene photos to help determine how a truck or motorcycle accident occurred. Photos and videos of the alleged perpetrators, the auto accident victims, and more can help police officers, criminal defense attorneys, prosecutors, judges, juries, and accident investigators piece together the puzzle and solve the case.
Interviewing Witnesses:
If an accident has occurred or if other people witnessed someone operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, police and private investigators in Bethany alike can conduct drunk driving investigations by interviewing witnesses who saw what happened. They might have seen the individual driving erratically or viewed the crash.
It is also possible that the witnesses may have seen the suspect doing absolutely nothing wrong, in which case criminal defense attorneys and judges will also want to know this information. This is the type of crucial data that wrongful death private investigations can find that can change the entire course of a legal proceeding. This is why many criminal defense lawyers hire a private investigator to help them solve criminal cases involving alcohol and drug-related charges.
Interrogation of Drivers:
Police officers, criminal defense lawyers near me, and private detectives in Edmond, Oklahoma also interrogate drivers they suspect of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or other intoxicating drugs. The admissions they make, both while onsite, in custody, and while out on bond, can serve as evidence.
Video Camera/CCTV Footage:
Securing and thoroughly reviewing available video camera/CCTV footage is an integral part of criminal private investigations. Indeed, many residences, businesses, and governmental agencies these days often have some form of video/CCTV footage available to help secure properties and other areas. The legal staff at our private investigation agency in Oklahoma City capitalize on this and work together with criminal defense teams to present the best possible defense in court for our clients.
Police and independent polygraph examiners in OKC offer polygraph examinations to help determine if someone is showing deception when answering questions. Never voluntarily take a lie detector test from a police department, because they can legally lie to criminal suspects about the results.
If you wish to take a polygraph with your case, ask your criminal defense attorney if it is the best idea. If she/he/they give(s) the go ahead, then have your criminal defense lawyer hire the polygraph examiner in Oklahoma so the results maintain the same attorney-client privilege. Otherwise, as mandatory reporters in child abuse cases, polygraphists in OKC must report unfavorable results to law enforcement. Others might even choose to do so even if the law does not require it. Thus, an excellent criminal defense lawyer will always have a signed, written agreement with the polygraph examiner beforehand which will clearly outline that all results, whether favorable or unfavorable, remain legally protected.
