▶ Watch: The Right to Remain Silent — Why It Matters in a DWI Case
The right to remain silent matters in every case, but it is especially important in a DWI stop. Officers are trained to ask questions designed to gather admissions — where you were coming from, how much you had to drink, when your last drink was. Those answers frequently become the State's strongest evidence.
You are not required to answer them. You can provide your license and insurance and then politely decline to discuss your night. You are also generally not required to perform the field sobriety tests or blow into a roadside device. Exercising these rights is not an admission of intoxication — it simply avoids handing the State evidence it would otherwise have to prove.
Brian Foley served on the Vehicular Crimes Team and knows precisely how DWI stops are built. In these cases, what you don't say can matter as much as anything. If you were arrested for DWI, remember the 15-day deadline to protect your license and call right away.
Free, confidential consultation — call or text (936) 596-0407.