A lot of Connecticut drivers don’t know this, but you can get arrested in Stamford or Greenwich Connecticut for driving while on prescription medication and drugs.
Even if a doctor told you it’s okay to drive while on the medication.
Sound fair? Not really. And not to many of the best Greenwich and Stamford DUI / DWI criminal lawyers who have been fighting this issue in the Stamford criminal courts over the past decade.
Many of the top criminal lawyers and attorneys in Greenwich and Stamford Connecticut routinely see police pull people over for driving erratically. Then the story unfolds like this:
“Have you been drinking?”
“No, Officer.”
“Are you under the influence of any illegal drugs?”
“No, Officer.”
“Are you currently taking any prescription drugs?”
“Yes, Officer.”
These days it’s not uncommon for people to be taking a regimen of mood-altering prescription drugs to help alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression, ADD, ADHD, PTSD, bipolar disorder, autism or any other mental health disorder.
The problem is that if the prescription drug impacts your ability to communicate clearly with the Greenwich or Stamford police officer, or affects your ability to drive smoothly or complete the Connecticut SFSTs—the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests such as the Walk-and-Turn and One-Legged Stand—then you can quickly find yourself getting arrested for a Prescription Drug DUI / DWI in Greenwich or Stamford Connecticut under CGS 14-227a.
If a Greenwich or Stamford Connecticut police officer determines in his or her sole discretion that you are under the influence of narcotics or a prescription drug—even those legally prescribed by your doctor—then you can be arrested in Connecticut under CGS 14-227a for DUI / DWI. Be warned: your doctor’s permission—even a doctor’s letter or note that you carry with you in your car—to drive while using this legally prescribed medication or narcotic will not prevent you from being arrested for a Prescription Drug DUI / DWI in Stamford or Greenwich Connecticut.
Here’s the Most Important Piece of Advice: DON’T ADMIT TO BEING ON PRESCRIPTION DRUGS!
Remember, while you should never lie to the police or any law enforcement officer (that’s a separate Connecticut crime in and of itself), you can exercise your right to remain silent. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION AS TO WHETHER YOU ARE CURRENTLY TAKING ANY PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS.
Now understand the police are permitted to lean on you hard here. They are entitled to pressure you to admit which medications you’re on, but you DO NOT have to tell them anything.
Here’s why they push so hard: if they don’t believe you’re drinking and driving, then the only way they may be able to justify probable cause to arrest you in Connecticut for a Prescription Drug DUI / DWI is to force you to admit you’re currently taking a legally prescribed drug or narcotic. Once you reveal that admission to them—even verbally—they can arrest you in Stamford or Greenwich for a Connecticut Prescription Drug DUI / DWI under CGS 14-227a.
Fighting your Stamford or Greenwich Connecticut DUI / DWI arrest requires skill acquired from experience and a thorough knowledge of the ins and outs of the Connecticut criminal court system. It would be ill-advised to have a real estate or divorce attorney who dabbles in criminal law to contest your arrest for DUI / DWI in Greenwich or Stamford Connecticut. You owe it to yourself to make sure a top Stamford Connecticut criminal lawyer carefully examines all of your police reports, witness statements, and audio and video evidence.
At your very first court date, any of the best Greenwich or Stamford Connecticut DUI / DWI criminal law firms will typically file motions to preserve evidence including 911 recordings and footage from police bodycams, dashboard cameras and booking cameras, if available. These top Stamford Connecticut DUI / DWI attorneys will also analyze (1) whether you were properly advised of your Miranda rights in a timely manner (click here for more on Miranda rights), and (2) whether you were given a reasonable opportunity to contact an attorney before being questioned by police or deciding to refuse or take a breath test.
The team of Connecticut Prescription Drug DUI / DWI criminal lawyers at the Mark Sherman Law firm are standing by to assist you. Our answering service is available 24/7 to connect you with an experienced DUI / DWI lawyer at all hours so that you can be properly advised at the police station. Research your options, and then check out our 5-star former client reviews on the Avvo.com certified client review website. Then call one of our DUI / DWI lawyers at (203) 358-4700.
