When you’re putting together a DUI defense, your history matters. What did you do before you were stopped by the police? Is there any reason you’d suspect that you were drugged by another person or intoxicated despite not drinking alcohol knowingly?
It is possible that you could end up being intoxicated and never touch an actual drop of liquid alcohol. There are three main scenarios in which people become intoxicated without knowing they’re ingesting alcohol.
The first is drinking something that says it’s nonalcoholic but finding out that it actually was. For example, if you go to a party and there is punch, you’ll probably ask the host if there is alcohol in the beverage. If they tell you no but someone spikes it or there actually was, then you could end up impaired despite thinking you weren’t drinking.
The second way you could end up impaired is by being drugged or having your drink spiked intentionally. This is more common in bars and clubs, but it can happen almost anywhere.
The third way you could become impaired without your knowledge is by ingesting food cooked with alcohol. Depending on when the alcohol was added, there is a chance that the food could have a high alcohol content and be likely to lead to impairment.
If you were stopped for drunk driving but you didn’t drink, you have options
It’s important to talk to your attorney about the situation leading up to your traffic stop and arrest. If you can show that you were not intentionally impaired or that you didn’t know someone slipped alcohol or a drug into your drink, you may be able to get out of a charges.
It’s necessary for you to look at all aspects of your case to determine what got you to this point, so you can begin building a defense based on those factors. The right approach can make a difference and could help you avoid serious charges and penalties.
