New Year's Eve Advice

New Year's Eve, Know Your Rights !by Mimi Coffey

New Year's Eve is around the corner. Important news ! If you have been drinking and get pulled over remember your rights:

1. Pull over immediately. Provide dl and insurance.

2. Don't talk, don't answer questions. Politely tell the officer you will not be answering any questions.

3. If asked to step out of the car, step out.

4. Unless you are an athlete with perfect balance inform the officer you will not be performing tests (they are circus acts designed to take you to jail).

5. Refuse blood tests (as they ferment) and if you have had more than 1 beer refuse a breath test (as they are inaccurate).

6. Know that you are being videotaped at all times. Say nothing under any circumstance.

7. Unless receipts will help you, throw them away before getting in the car.

8. Keep a lock on your cell phone as cops will try to read your text messages. Save your texts and call logs particularly if this contributed to bad driving. (Better yet, don't text and drive !)

9. If you are carrying alcohol put it in the trunk.

Police have turned to crucifying all responsible social drinkers, it is no longer just about getting the true DWI. Until scientific changes are made it is best to do nothing.

*Always be polite with the cop. Never lie to a cop, just don't answer questions or volunteer information. No matter how "nice" you are to a cop or no matter how much you think "cooperating" will help you KNOW THiS: IT WILL NOT !!! You are just acting foolish. Be wise and protect yourself. This is America, your private business and how you spend your time and who with is your OWN business. The whole system from the moment they approach your car, to the skewed testing and flawed chemical tests are designed to convict you and make thousands upon thousands of dollars for the state. Don't be a fool. Don't play the game. Most importantly, if you have had too much to drink and you are intoxicated please do not drive. It is a nightmare worse than you can imagine regarding the stress, humiliation, inconvenience and forever being branded a criminal that can affect everything in your life to obtaining housing to employment.

Comments

Can A DWI Affect My Eligibility For Global Entry?

In general, all United States citizens and lawful permanent residents possess eligibility to apply for Global Entry. This is a program through Customs and Border Protection that allows for expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers. That said, Customs my deny eligibility for a variety of reasons such as providing false information on the application and a finding of customs violation for *any* country (not just US Customs violations). However, there are 3 important reasons related to criminal defense that everyone should know. First, Customs may deny eligibility if you have been denied for the purchase of a firearm. This restriction is important because firearm restrictions may, on occasion, be a condition of a criminal charge, even if the charge is dismissed. Further, a denial of a firearm purchase may show Customs that you are not a “low-risk” traveler based on the reason for denial. Second, Customs may deny eligibility if you are the subject of an *ongoing investiga...

Texas Not Following Accrediting Agency Standards in Blood Testing

Mimi Coffey in a Gas Chromatography Lab 2023 Everyone knows you can’t compare apples to oranges yet this is what many Texas forensic laboratories are doing. ANSI/ANAB standards (who accredit Texas crime labs) are very specific on both quality control and method validation requiring some whole blood samples to be tested to adjust for the matrix effects that blood samples introduce in gas chromatography testing. Yet, most north Texas labs still ignore these “shall” (not optional) mandates opting to use aqueous samples (water based). Blood has compounds that interfere in analytical readings that water based calibrators and controls go not have. Does this affect the result? 100%. Absolutely. One study in Austin estimated an increase in alcohol (ethanol) by 20%. This is just one Texas government lab’s findings. Bottom line- don’t trust the blood result. The State must do better.

Lying Witnesses: The Shabby State of Criminal Justice in our Country

The American Criminal Justice System: “Houston, We have a Problem.” James Ferguson Mark Fuhrman, convicted of a felony perjury after the O.J. Simpson trial, is now a national Fox legal analyst, an “expert witness” on police matters. Last week, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio, ruled “Dr.” James Ferguson, a state toxicologist, convicted of perjury, could NOT be sued or found liable for lying in a murder case where his expert witness testimony was relied upon by the judge for the conviction. Fred Zain, toxicologist at the West Virginia Department of Public Safety, falsified lab results which resulted in as many as 134 wrongful convictions. Once under investigation, he merely picked up and moved to San Antonio, Texas to work as a toxicologist where an investigation found at least 180 cases in which fraud may have led to wrongful convictions. He died in the comforts of his Florida home in 2002. Picking up the pieces in Boston, Massachusetts, over 34,000 lab...

Mimi Coffey | Attorney at Law

Search This Blog