Being charged with a DUI in Mississippi is very serious and if convicted can have far reaching consequences. Accordingly, it is important to know what options and defenses are available to you as a defendant.
In order to be found guilty of Driving Under the Influence the prosecution must prove that you were operating or in control of a motor vehicle and that you were under the influence while doing so. Also, the officer must have had a legal reason for pulling you over to begin with.
Most people have heard the term “probable cause” and understand it to apply to a police officer making an arrest or a search of a person or place. However, a police officer need only have “reasonable suspicion” in order to legally pull over a driver suspected of being under the influence. While reasonable suspicion is a lower standard than probable cause, it still has to be more than just a “hunch” or a “feeling”, in fact, an officer must be able to give specific and articulable facts as to why he/she pulled you over. Without this, the entire stop may have been illegal and the charges against you may be dismissed.