What Happens to a Person’s Car Following a Midland DUI

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When someone is arrested and taken away for a DUI offense, a person may leave their car behind. Often times, if the car is legally parked or in a parking lot of some sort, then law enforcement may make the decision to leave it there or tow it. If a person’s car is left on the side of the road, they may most likely call a tow truck. A towing company will then transport the vehicle to an impound yard.

Once the person is out of jail, they can go to the impound yard to retrieve their car after paying a towing fee. Speak with a skilled Midland DUI attorney to learn more about what happens to a person’s car following a Midland DUI.

Retrieving a Vehicle after DUI Arrest

An attorney does not play a role in the retrieval of a vehicle. The person knows where it is and so once they get out of jail, they can call the impound yard and pay the fee and get it out of jail. It is not normally something that a lawyer is going to help with. There is a provision that if a person is on a felony DUI and it is the fourth DUI. Then the state could move to forfeit the car. Only then could a lawyer answer and litigate an issue on behalf of the person. An attorney can still enlighten someone on what happens to a person’s car following a Midland DUI.

Things to Expect

A person should expect to wait for a bit when they are in the process of releasing their vehicle from the impound lot. A person should also be ready to pay the full fee. Only then will the car be released back into a person’s possession.

A person may need to present their driver’s license and proof of ownership of the vehicle. They could also present their registration or insurance information. These items are usually left in the car. Tow companies understand this commonality and may be able to get the information out of the car for the person. This is all done in order for the tow company to make no mistake that they are releasing the car to the correct person.

Car Searches

If the officer has probable cause that there is an offense that was happening or was about to happen. The vehicle can be searched. It can also be searched if the officer, when they are investigating the crime, sees something in plain view. A good example of that is if someone uses marijuana. They may have stopped somebody for speeding and they see something similar to joint or a roach in the center console, then they could search the car for that.

They can also search a car in an incident to arrest if the person is at arm’s length and could show that they were actually potentially in the vehicle. Speak with a credible DUI lawyer to learn more about what happens to a person’s car following a Midland DUI.

Illegal Substances Affecting a DUI Case

This may depend on what illegal substances were found. If there were any type of drugs, then that could enhance it and add additional charges. Either a felony or a misdemeanor. If there is alcohol, it could increase the minimum jail time on a Class B misdemeanor from three to six days. Law enforcement male file an enhancement if the person had an open container and/or any containers of alcohol. This could be evidence of the person potentially consuming alcohol. Such finding could impact what happens to a person’s car following a Midland DUI.