Video evidence can be incredibly compelling in a central Pennsylvania DUI trial. Which is why most police cruisers in Central PA these days have the capability for either video or audio recording of everything that occurs in the general vicinity of the officer manning the vehicle. The camera usually is positioned to capture the scene in front of the vehicle and is often attached by a bracket next to the interior rearview mirror. That's why the officer usually does field sobriety tests in front of his car, or why the officer questions you in front of his car. Also, many of these cameras can be rotated 360 degrees to be repositioned by the officer to focus on you sitting in the back seat of the cruiser while at the roadside or while you're being transported to Dauphin, York or Cumberland County prison.
Microphones are located both on the officer's shirt or vest and inside his or her cruiser. The officer then has the capability to turn these microphones on and off individually, so that he or she can have private conversations with other officers, the dispatcher or a supervisor, yet catch any and every word you say on tape. Remember, REMAIN SILENT even when you think you are alone and in a “private” place.
If the officer is investigating you for DUI, it is reasonably safe for you to assume that everything is being recorded from the time the officer stops your car through your arrest and delivery to jail. This is especially true of anything you say, since the microphone in the back of the officer's cruiser can pick even a whisper that you utter under your breath.
A good DUI attorney will request these recordings through discovery, review them for inconsistencies and anomalies. Next he or she will assess whether their admission is legal or should be suppressed or if an expert's testimony would be helpful.
If you or a loved one has been arrested for DUI in south central PA, contact the Quinlan Law Group today. Consultations are always free and we take pride in helping good people through tough times.