Minnesota driving while intoxicated (DWI) charges can lead to many different consequences. The criminal courts can incarcerate a driver, order them to pay large fines and suspend their driving privileges. People convicted of DWI offenses may lose their jobs or struggle to afford car insurance afterward.
Although people sometimes view DWI offenses as victimless crimes, they can have life-altering consequences for the person accused. A guilty plea may initially seem like the simplest solution to a DWI charge. People hope to avoid the cost of going to court and often assume that a guilty plea might inspire a more lenient sentence.
However, the courts can impose any penalty that aligns with state law after a guilty plea or DWI conviction. In most cases, avoiding a conviction is preferable to pleading guilty and hoping for the best. There are numerous defense strategies that may work for those facing Minnesota DWI charges, including the three common options outlined below.
Challenging a traffic stop
Police officers sometimes stop people in traffic without a legitimate justification for doing so. Stopping a driver typically requires probable cause. A police officer needs to suspect that a specific traffic infraction occurred to legally stop a driver. If the initial traffic stop occurred without an appropriate justification, then any evidence gathered during the traffic stop may not be eligible for use during a criminal trial. Drivers who can raise questions about the validity of a traffic stop may be able to avoid a conviction.
Providing an alternate explanation
Sometimes, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for why a driver fails a breath test or behaves anxiously in front of police officers. They might have physical or mental health issues that affect their behavior. They might be on a special diet or may have taken a medication that might explain the alleged evidence of impairment a police officer collected. Documentation of alternate explanations can potentially provide the reasonable doubt that a DWI defendant needs to avoid a criminal conviction.
Evaluating police protocol
Police officers do not always follow best practices consistently while on the job. Maybe they failed to properly maintain the breath test device used during a traffic stop. Perhaps they administered a field sobriety test using non-standard tests or in a location not captured by their cameras. Small mistakes in police procedures can raise questions about the validity and accuracy of the evidence gathered by police officers in the field. It is sometimes possible to avoid a conviction by showing that the state didn’t conform to best practices during a traffic stop.
Reviewing the state’s evidence with a skilled legal team can be a helpful decision for those facing DWI charges. Small mistakes and omissions can help people successfully defend against pending DWI charges when possible.