A DUI arrest can make your future feel smaller in a matter of minutes. You may worry about losing your license, missing work, or paying steep costs. Police reports can add to that fear because they often present one firm version of the night. Your defense begins when someone tests that version against the facts.
Help from a DUI attorney in Novato, CA, gives you a chance to study the arrest before making major choices. DUI Attorney Mark Malachowski examines the timeline, records, videos, and testing methods tied to the charge.
A deeper review may reveal concerns that the first report leaves out.
Sample Records Can Reveal Hidden Problems
Blood and urine evidence must remain protected as it moves from the collection site to the testing lab. Labels, seals, storage temperatures, and transfer times help show whether the sample remained safe. Missing information can create real concerns about the lab result.
Custody records should account for each person who came into contact with the evidence. Unusual delays or damaged packaging may suggest that proper safeguards were not followed. These flaws can matter when prosecutors use one lab report as a major part of their case.
One Test Number Cannot Explain the Entire Night
A chemical reading may seem final when it appears in bold print. However, the number is derived from a process that involves a machine, an operator, and several required steps. Trouble at any stage may affect how much trust the result deserves.
Service reports can show whether a breath machine worked as designed on the day of the arrest. Medical history, recent meals, testing time, and certain medications may also provide needed context. A thorough defense looks beyond the final number and asks how it was produced.
The Stop Must Begin With a Legal Basis
Police need more than a general suspicion before pulling over a driver. They must have observed a traffic violation or have another lawful reason to initiate the detention. A weak explanation for the stop can create problems for everything that happened afterward.
DUI Attorney Mark Malachowski may compare the written report with dash camera footage and dispatch records. Street signs, traffic patterns, and witness accounts can also help show what happened before the patrol lights came on. When those sources conflict with the officer’s account, the court may need to examine the stop more closely.
Roadside Performance Needs Real-World Context
Balancing beside a busy road is far different from standing in a quiet room. Wind, headlights, noise, loose pavement, and fear can affect how a person follows directions. An old injury or health condition may make the task harder before the test even begins.
Body camera video can capture details that a short police summary does not include. The footage may show rushed instructions, an unsafe location, or movements that were described unfairly. Reviewing the full scene helps prevent ordinary difficulty from being treated as automatic proof of impairment.
Question the Case With a DUI Attorney in Novato, CA
A DUI charge can reach far beyond the courtroom and affect daily life for months. An early defense gives your lawyer more time to request footage and preserve records before they disappear. Careful preparation can also help you understand the choices available at each stage.
DUI Attorney Mark Malachowski helps Novato drivers examine the evidence behind an arrest instead of accepting every claim at face value. His work focuses on the decisions, procedures, and records that shaped the charge. Taking the case apart piece by piece can reveal a defense path that was difficult to see at first.
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