Beethoven’s DUI Fifth on the Fourth of July

With the Fourth of July 2015 landing on a Saturday this year, Dan Smith and Jon Pettis, the lawyers at San Diego Defenders, are looking forward to a barbeque to celebrate our Country’s Independence Day. We started thinking about how to remind people who are pulled over for a DUI that it is important to remember to respectfully decline to take FST’s or field sobriety tests  if stopped. It is called invoking the Fifth, as in Amendment. Jon said, “ well we can’t just say invoke the Fifth because people truthfully mix it up with the Fourth Amendment against unreasonable search and seizure”.

 Dan said, “maybe we can use a memory game-like process!” Jon comes back with “imagine Beethoven’s Fifth .. Da, da, da, daaaaaa, Da, da, da, daaaaaa!” With a smile on his face, Dan sings (almost in tune to Beethoven’s Fifth symphony). “If you are a dor-r-rk and drink and drive on the Four-r-rth, Don’t help the Cops repor-r-rt. Interlude…. Beethoven reminds to invoke the Fifth…..Respectfully Decline…… and don’t call them swine!….Call our office at 6-1-9 and you will be fine…. That’s 258…….8888 …..in a matter of time, you will be fine!”