For many, Labor Day symbolizes the ending of summer and as such the holiday can be celebrated quite vigorously among some Louisiana residents. Road trips, boat trips and just general partying may be the order of the day and with that a few drinks to add to the festivities.
If you are reading this prior to Labor Day 2014, then be aware that through Sept.1, members of 166 of the state’s policing agencies will be putting in overtime in an effort to catch those they suspect of driving while intoxicated. The campaign is called “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”
Law enforcement officials are taking advantage of grants provided by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission to put the overtime officers out in force at checkpoints and on patrol. The Louisiana State Police’s superintendent states that their zero-tolerance policy will be strictly enforced.
However, if you are reading this post after the holiday, you may understand all too well the state’s plan to crack down on drunk driving if you yourself were pulled over. Therefore, you are likely aware how costly a DWI arrest can be as you may incur large fines and have to pay out for court costs. In addition, there is the risk of losing your driving privileges and all the problems inherent to that.
What you might not know is that you may have legal recourse in answering the charges. Given the very zealous approach to pulling drivers over during the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over initiative, some officers may not have performed the stop and testing procedures correctly. This is something you may wish to take into consideration prior to accepting any form of punishment.
A Louisiana DUI attorney could look at the report of your stop and may be able to determine if any possible indiscretions exist that could lead to charges being dismissed. Past that, the attorney may also be able to look at the totality of your situation and recommend a course of action leading to your best possible outcome.
Source: Gonzales Weekly Citizen, “Police saturate La. roads in ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign; campaign in effect Aug. 15–Sept. 1,” Aug. 20, 2014