Jimmy Litle

The first thing you need to understand is that your DUI created two separate cases. One is your criminal case in in the court system. The other is your DMV case involving your driver's license. Most people don't realize this until it's too late.

In Colorado, you only have seven calendar days from the date of your arrest to request a DMV hearing. Not business days, seven total days. If you miss that deadline, your license is automatically suspended. No extensions and no second chances. This is one of the most common mistakes that we see.

One document in that stack matters more than any of the others, and that's your express consent affidavit, sometimes called a notice of revocation. That piece of paper is critical. It explains whether you took or refused a chemical test, what your reported BAC was, and it serves as your temporary driver's license for 7 days. Photograph it immediately. Email it to yourself. Do not lose it.

Colorado's express consent law means that by driving here, you've already agreed to chemical testing if you're arrested for DUI. If you took a breath test and it was reported at 0.08 or higher, your license is revoked unless you fight it. And if you refuse to test, the penalties are even harsher. Either way, the clock starts immediately.

Now, here's what most people don't realize. Chemical tests are not perfect. Breath machines require strict calibration. Officers must follow exact procedures. Medical conditions can affect results. Blood samples can be mishandled or contaminated. We regular see cases where test results look solid on paper but fall apart under scrutiny.

Once you are released, there are six things that you should do immediately. First, secure any piece of paperwork you were given. Second, write down everything you remember. Where you were, what you ate, what you drank, why the officer said you were stopped, what tests you were asked to perform. because details fade fast and those details can matter. Third, don't post anything on social media. Not jokes, not frustration, not I only had two drinks. Prosecutors can look for that stuff and they use it. Fourth, preserve the physical evidence. Keep your clothes. Don't clean your car. Save receipts. Save videos. Fifth, request your DMV hearing immediately if it hasn't already been done. Even if you haven't hired an attorney yet, file this request. You can't undo a missed deadline. And sixth, contact a DUI defense attorney right away. Early representation means evidence gets preserved, deadlines get met, and mistakes get avoided.

Now, let's talk about the mistakes that we see people make all the time. Talking about your case to friends or family, trying to explain things to a prosecutor, missing court dates, waiting too long to hire a lawyer, assuming a DUI means automatic conviction. None of that helps. Many DUI cases are defensible, but only if they're handled correctly from the beginning.

Your first court appearance is usually an advisement hearing, and this is where charges are read and the court advises you about potential penalties. Your attorney can appear with you, handle communication, and start pushing the case in the right direction immediately.

Now, let's be real about the consequences. A first offense DUI can involve jail time, fines, probation, alcohol classes, and license suspension. Insurance costs alone can follow you for a long time. Employment issues can come up. Professional license issues can be affected. And travel can become complicated.

But here's the key takeaway. A DUI arrest is not the end of your story. It's the beginning of a process. And how that process unfolds depends heavily on what you do right now.

the next 24 to 48 hours matter to your case and your defense. I'm Jimmy Lidle, managing attorney of Wright Law Group, where we defend DUI cases every day across Colorado.

After your arrest, officers transported you to a station or jail. And during that ride, they may have tried to talk to you casually. This is where people get into trouble. Anything you say, even small talk, can be written into a report and used against you.

At Riot Law Group, we get to work for you as soon as you hire. We request those DMV hearings. We investigate stops. We review body warrant footage. We challenge testing procedures. And we fight to protect your license, your record, and your future.

And I can tell you this with absolute certainty. Good people get DUIs. So, take a breath. You're going to get through this.

A DUI arrest is not the end of your story. It's the beginning of a process. And how that process unfolds depends heavily on what you do right now.

After you're arrested at the scene, officers will transport you to either a police station or a county jail. Where you go depends on where you arrested. In El Paso County, most DUI arrests end up at the Criminal Justice Center in Colorado Springs. In Douglas County, you're usually taken to the Douglas County Detention Facility in Castle Rock. In Denver, most people go to the downtown detention center. And in Arapo County, that's typically the detention facility in Centennial.

Now, here's something that most people don't expect. That ride to the station is not casual. It's not off the record, and it's not a safe place to explain yourself. Officers are trained to engage you in conversation, and they may seem friendly, and they may ask how your night was, and they may say they're just trying to help. This is where people get themselves into trouble. Anything you say during transport can be written into a police report and later used against you in court. Even statements that feel harmless, even jokes, even frustration.

The safest approach is simple. Provide only basic identifying information. Your name, your date of birth, nothing more. Once you arrive at the station, the booking process begins.

This is where law enforcement officially documents your arrest and gathers the information. The first thing that usually happens is fingerprinting. Your fingerprints are taken and entered into law enforcement databases. Next come the photographs. These are standard booking photos, often called mug shots, taken from multiple angles. Then officers inventory your personal property. Your wallet, your phone, your keys, anything you had on you is cataloged and stored. This protects both you and the facility. But it also means everything you had with you is documented. After that, a background check is run. Law enforcement checks for prior criminal history, outstanding warrants, and any issues that could affect any release decisions.

And then there's paperwork. This is one of the most important parts of the booking process. You'll receive multiple documents, a summon to court, bond paperwork, and one document that's absolutely critical, the express consent affidavit, or sometimes called the notice of revocation. This entire booking process can take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours, sometimes longer. It really depends on how busy the facility is, whether it's a weekend or holiday, and how cooperative the process as a whole has been.