What if I am arrested for DUI in Bucks County?

If a local Bucks County Police officer or a Pennsylvania State Police officer determines that there is probable cause that you have been drinking and driving, you will be arrested.

You will then be placed into ‘custody’, whereby you are put into handcuffs, put into the back of a police vehicle or detained at the police station. While in custody, if the police officer asks you questions about the incident, you have the right to remain silent. Unfortunately, from the point of the arrest until the time you are released, you are not permitted to be counseled by a lawyer.

Typically, you will then be taken to the closest hospital for a blood-alcohol test or to the police station for a breath or blood test. Once blood or breath testing is complete, you will be processed at the police station. To best protect your rights, Attorney Caterina Saile stays current on all new court rulings that relate to blood testing.

During processing, the police officer will enter your personal data into the police computer system, take your photograph, and process your fingerprints. If you are lucky and live locally, the police officer may offer to drive you home. Otherwise, you will need to have someone pick you up at the police station.

If you are not processed immediately, you will receive a summons in the mail which lists all of your charges. You will be required to go back to the police station to be formally processed. The mail packet you receive from the court will include instructions for how and where to be processed. This processing must be completed prior to your Bucks County Preliminary Hearing.