What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pa
So here is what happened. I was at a Christmas party and had had three beers. I am a 19 year old, college student. I had had those drinks and had stopped for a sufficient amount of time, about an hour and a half. To be honest, I don't drink a lot and I'm kind of a lightweight. A friend of mine had a date who was feeling sick, so he told her that he would walk her home. She was completely against that because it was 20 degrees outside. Me being the most sober AND responsible person there offered to drive her home. Now I'm the kind of person completely against drunk driving. But in all seriousness, I was stone cold sober. I could have done integral calculus if you wanted me to. So we get in my friends car and make the 1 mile journey to the dorms where this girl lives. I pull up and he takes her up to her room. It takes about 5 minutes for my friend to come back down.
Here's the kicker. I turned off the engine to save gas. While the engine was off, I noticed that the headlights were still on. So I flicked them off. 5 minutes later my friend arrives and I pull out. I turn onto the street and start heading home. A block from my apartment, DUI checkpoint pulls me over for having my headlights off.
The headlights were going to kick on in a few seconds! The cop tells me that it's a DUI checkpoint and asks me to take the prelim breath test. At this point I realize I'm screwed. But It was freezing cold outside and I'm so nervous. I've never had any trouble with the law. No speeding tickets, no parking tickets, I never even got detention in any of my k-12 schooling. So I was not in the right state of mind to realize I should have declined the FST. I take the FST and I felt like I did well. I literally felt sober. Like I said, they could have handed me a book on integral calculus and I would have made stuff happen. Nope. I take the test and they arrest me anyway. I had to go give a blood test. I could have declined it but I'd face more severe punishment.
I blew a .07 and the blood results showed something similar.
I have no idea what to do now. I hope I don't get some massive fine. I'm a poor college student who is unemployed. I'm stressed out with finals week going on right now. I don't know what the next steps are. Do I need to contact a lawyer? How much will that cost? Is there any way It can get put on the shelf? This is an absolutely terrible situation for me. I'd like to think I'm the model citizen. I've returned lost wallets and I even help run a philanthropy.
Basically I'm asking what is the worst that could happen and what is the best that could happen.
Sorry if I sound like another young person who is freaking out and telling their story. I honestly just do not know what to do.
So here is what happened. I was at a Christmas party and had had three beers. I am a 19 year old, college student. I had had those drinks and had stopped for a sufficient amount of time, about an hour and a half. To be honest, I don't drink a lot and I'm kind of a lightweight. A friend of mine had a date who was feeling sick, so he told her that he would walk her home. She was completely against that because it was 20 degrees outside. Me being the most sober AND responsible person there offered to drive her home. Now I'm the kind of person completely against drunk driving. But in all seriousness, I was stone cold sober. I could have done integral calculus if you wanted me to. So we get in my friends car and make the 1 mile journey to the dorms where this girl lives. I pull up and he takes her up to her room. It takes about 5 minutes for my friend to come back down.
Here's the kicker. I turned off the engine to save gas. While the engine was off, I noticed that the headlights were still on. So I flicked them off. 5 minutes later my friend arrives and I pull out. I turn onto the street and start heading home. A block from my apartment, DUI checkpoint pulls me over for having my headlights off.
The headlights were going to kick on in a few seconds! The cop tells me that it's a DUI checkpoint and asks me to take the prelim breath test. At this point I realize I'm screwed. But It was freezing cold outside and I'm so nervous. I've never had any trouble with the law. No speeding tickets, no parking tickets, I never even got detention in any of my k-12 schooling. So I was not in the right state of mind to realize I should have declined the FST. I take the FST and I felt like I did well. I literally felt sober. Like I said, they could have handed me a book on integral calculus and I would have made stuff happen. Nope. I take the test and they arrest me anyway. I had to go give a blood test. I could have declined it but I'd face more severe punishment.
I blew a .07 and the blood results showed something similar.
I have no idea what to do now. I hope I don't get some massive fine. I'm a poor college student who is unemployed. I'm stressed out with finals week going on right now. I don't know what the next steps are. Do I need to contact a lawyer? How much will that cost? Is there any way It can get put on the shelf? This is an absolutely terrible situation for me. I'd like to think I'm the model citizen. I've returned lost wallets and I even help run a philanthropy.
Basically I'm asking what is the worst that could happen and what is the best that could happen.
Sorry if I sound like another young person who is freaking out and telling their story. I honestly just do not know what to do.
Last edited: