Frequently Asked Questions

The first thing you should do after you are pulled over by a police officer is remain calm. The officer may believe that you are under the influence, but this is merely his or her opinion. His or her opinion may be influenced by your behavior and it is best to remain polite if one wishes to remain out of jail.

Safely move your car over into the right lane and park on the shoulder of the road or in a parking lot. Turn the car and radio off and wait for instructions from the officer. Acting against the officer's orders may be interpreted as being intoxicated.

Get your license and registration to hand so that you can give them to the officer when he or she requests them. When an officer pulls someone over there must be something called "probable cause". Probable cause is the reason you were pulled over. It could be a traffic violation or reason to believe the driver is under the influence such as erratic driving. An example of erratic driving behavior is swerving.

The most common signs that law enforcement are taught to look for include a driver with a flushed face, watery or bloodshot eyes, the smell of alcohol on the breath or in the vehicle, slurring while speaking, staggering when asked to get out of the vehicle, unstable on feet, argumentative, unable to follow the directions of the police officer, disorientation, open containers in the vehicle and others.

Although you are not required to hire an attorney, it will greatly benefit your chances of avoiding a DUIconviction. Representing yourself is generally not a good idea when there is so much at stake. A highly qualified and trained DUI attorney can help you to better understand your defense options and may be able to obtain a not guilty verdict. DUI penalties can last years and have negative ramifications that last a lifetime, choose wisely.

If you are arrested, you do not have to answer incriminating questions before speaking with an attorney. Call our firm for a free consultation. We have over 25 years of experience and are ready to assist you.

Your ticket or order to appear should have the address of the court where you are to appear. However, just because you were arrested by a city police officer, like Overland Park Police or Olathe law enforcement, it doesn't automatically mean that your case is in the municipal court. It could be in the Johnson County District Court. For maps to the various courts, see the following links:

• Olathe, KS
• Overland Park, KS
• Leawood, KS
• Lenexa, KS
• Johnson County, KS
• Kansas City