Slurred Speech Leading To Trouble With The Law? Here Are Some Potential Contributing Factors
Any police officer who detains you after a car accident will always be looking for signs of impairment. Even if you weren't driving in a manner that could suggest you were under the influence of alcohol, the presence of even a single indicator that you've been drinking can turn a routine accident follow-up into a DUI investigation. One such indicator is slurred speech — something that often gives away the fact that a person is drunk.
If your speech is slurred, but you haven't been drinking, the police officer may ask you to perform field sobriety tests, which you may not want to do. This can lead to an arrest, but as soon as you can hire a DUI attorney and explain why your speech was slurred, you can expect the charges to be dropped. Here are some contributing factors to slurred speech.
Freezing From The Dentist
If you've ever tried to speak after having part of your mouth frozen at the dentist's office, you know how different your voice may be. The freezing can often give you a slurred voice, albeit one that doesn't have anything to do with the consumption of alcohol. In order to use this defense, your attorney will need you to provide him or her with some dental records. In other words, you'll need official documentation that you were at the dentist a short period of time before the police pulled you over.
A Recent Stroke
People who have strokes often experience slurred speech. While driving in the first place after a stroke is usually a no-no, it's also possible that you've recovered enough to safely drive — but your speech has remained slurred. The slurring that results from going through this medical episode can make you sound intoxicated, even if you haven't had a drop of alcohol. Provide your attorney with medical records that prove that you're a stroke survivor and he or she will have plenty of ammunition to fight your case.
A Speech Impediment
It may also be possible that you have slurred speech simply because of a speech impediment. You may often have people questioning you about being drunk and you friends playfully teasing you in the same way, but your speech doesn't have anything to do with your consumption of alcohol. Records from sessions with a speech therapist or a letter from your doctor if he or she has seen you regarding your speech will prove to be valuable documents for your DUI attorney.
For more information, contact a law office like Maltezos Law Offices.
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