How to Handle a DUI Stop in Connecticut – What to Do and What NOT to Do

If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve either just been stopped for DUI—or you’re worried you might be. Let me give it to you straight: what you do in the next few minutes can make or break your case.

I’ve been fighting DUI cases in Stamford and across Connecticut for over 30 years. I’ve seen everything—from routine stops that ended in dismissals to simple mistakes that cost people their licenses and jobs.

Here’s what I tell clients: You cannot talk your way out of a DUI arrest. But you can make it a whole lot harder for the State to convict you if you do this right.

Use your blinker. Slow down smoothly. Stop in a safe, well-lit place. The dashcam is rolling and the officer is already judging your driving. Don’t hand them a line like “stopped abruptly and fumbled with controls.”

Pro tips: Put the car in park, turn off the engine, open the window, and keep your hands on the wheel. If it’s dark, turn on your interior light—that lowers the officer’s threat level. If you need to reach for documents, say what you’re doing before you move: “My registration is in the glove box; I’m going to reach for it now.”

Hand over your license, registration, and insurance. Be respectful, calm, and brief. When you hear, “Where are you coming from? Had anything to drink?” they’re fishing for an admission that will live forever in a police report.

Say: “I don’t answer any questions without a lawyer present.”
That’s lawful, firm, and non-hostile. You are not required to discuss your night, your number of drinks, when you last ate, or how you “feel.”

Decline them—politely and once. The eye test, walk-and-turn, one-leg stand, and most portable roadside breath tests are optional and designed to create probable cause, not to clear you. They’re done on sloped shoulders, under flashing lights, with traffic rushing by—conditions that trip up even sober people, especially in dress shoes or with old injuries, vertigo, or nerves. You don’t need to debate with the officer or list your medical history at the curb. Keep your tone calm and say, “I respectfully decline any field sobriety tests.” Then stop talking. That single sentence keeps shaky “fail” clues off video and out of the report while still showing you’re cooperative.

Call me if you can, but in many first-offense cases it’s smarter to take the breath test. A refusal usually brings harsher DMV penalties—a longer suspension and longer ignition interlock (IID)—even if the court case is later dismissed. There are fact-specific exceptions (for example, GERD/acid reflux, diabetes/ketosis, or obvious observation-period problems), and I’ll evaluate those with you, but don’t try to “game” the machine or give a half-blow—that often gets recorded as a refusal. If you do test, we can still attack reliability later (maintenance logs, operator error, improper observation/timing). Either way, ask to contact your lawyer immediately and request copies of any testing paperwork when available.

• Don’t argue or get sarcastic—it escalates the stop and never helps your case.
• Don’t admit to “a couple of drinks.” That’s a gift to the prosecutor.
• Don’t try to “explain your way out.” Talking = evidence.
• Don’t assume you’re doomed if you’re arrested. I’ve beaten cases with worse facts—because the driver didn’t build the State’s case at the roadside.

• “I don’t answer any questions without a lawyer present.”
• “I respectfully decline any field sobriety tests.”
• “Am I free to leave?”

Keep your voice calm, your hands visible, and let the video show you as polite and firm.

Booking: Expect fingerprints, a photo, property inventory, and paperwork. Stay calm and keep quiet.

Release: Many first-time arrestees are released after processing with a court date. If bond is set, follow the instructions to post and get home safely.

Your first 72-hour checklist:

• Write everything down while it’s fresh: times, locations, what you ate, what shoes you wore, any instructions you were given, weather, medical issues. Tiny details can win cases.
• Preserve evidence: receipts, bar/restaurant tabs, Uber/ride logs, texts, call history, home/business camera footage.
• Identify witnesses who saw you before the stop (normal speech, steady walking, sober behavior).
• Note any health conditions (GERD/acid reflux, diabetes/ketosis, neurological issues, injuries) that affect balance or breath testing.
• Call me so I can send preservation letters for dashcam/bodycam and station videos before they’re overwritten.

Separate from your court case, the DMV starts a license suspension process. You’ll receive a notice and a right to request a hearing. Deadlines are short—often just days—so do not wait.

At your APS hearing, we can challenge:

• The lawfulness of the stop (was there a valid reason to pull you over?),
• Probable cause for the arrest,
• Testing procedures and observation period,
• Whether a test result or refusal is actually provable.

Even while we fight the criminal case, protecting your ability to drive is its own battle. I handle both tracks so you’re covered on all fronts.

Out-of-state drivers: Your home state may honor a Connecticut suspension. For court dates, I can often petition for a Microsoft Teams virtual appearance to save you travel when appropriate.

Commercial Driver’s License (CDL): CDL holders face tougher standards and career-level consequences. Even a “first” can be devastating. Call me immediately.

Under 21: Zero-tolerance rules and DMV penalties can be stricter. The defense strategy is different—let me guide you.

Accidents or injuries: Extra charges (reckless driving, assault with a vehicle) may be added. We need to control both criminal and civil exposure.

Checkpoints: The basic advice doesn’t change—be polite, don’t answer incriminating questions, decline FSTs, and ask if you’re free to leave.

• Video: dashcam, bodycam, sallyport, booking room, breath-test room.
• Location proof: time-stamped receipts, surveillance showing steady walk/talk.
• Medical documentation: reflux, hypoglycemia, vertigo, orthopedic issues.
• Footwear & surface conditions: photos of the shoulder where you were tested; bring the shoes you wore that night.
• Witness statements: friends, servers, valets, anyone who saw you acting normally.
• Dispatch logs & timing: gaps can undermine the officer’s narrative.

We move fast to preserve this material before it disappears.

• “If I’m honest, they’ll let me go.” No. Honesty about drinking supplies the State with admissions.
• “I did okay on the tests, so I’m fine.” Officers rarely write, “He did great.” They list “clues” to justify arrest.
• “Over .08 means I’m guilty.” Not necessarily. Reliability and procedure matter.
• “Refusing is always better.” Often the opposite at DMV. Don’t guess—call me.
• “I can talk my way out of it.” You can’t. You can talk your way into a conviction.

Every case is unique. Depending on your history and the facts, we may pursue:

• Evidentiary challenges (bad stop, flawed testing, missing observation period).
• Suppression motions (no reasonable suspicion/probable cause).
• Negotiated outcomes (reduced charges, non-criminal resolutions where possible).
• Diversion for first-timers through the Impaired Driver Intervention Program (IDIP)—a route to dismissal upon successful completion.
• APS hearing strategies to minimize or avoid license consequences.

My job is to find the pressure points and push until we get the best possible result.

If you’re facing a DUI in Stamford, Greenwich, or anywhere in Connecticut, call me personally at (203) 357-5555 or fill out my contact form right now. The sooner I get involved, the more I can do to protect you.