Video: MSU Students Learn Their Legal Rights

[bitsontherun WVY6OKOf]STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – You’re driving late at night, when a set of blue lights pops up in your rear view mirror. What you do next, could impact your life for years to come.

Mississippi State students are working to educate their classmates about their rights on the road.

You get pulled over after a night out, whether you’ve been drinking or not, what should you say to the officer? Wednesday night, Mississippi State students learned the proper way to behave.

“When you do have a run in with a cop you do have a right and you do have certain things you’re entitled to and you know stuff they can and cannot say to you or how you can act in that and just feeling like they have more of a voice and they’re well prepared,” said coordinator Lauren Kellerhouse.

Students are pulled over at road blocks all the time and knowing what they should do in certain situations can save them serious jail time and money.

One student says he was sober when he got pulled over and it was 45 minutes before he was released.

“You don’t have to take a field sobority test, what I should of done instead of getting out of the car, I could have said sir you know, I’m sober can I get a breatholizer test and immediately you know he’ll go over and get the breatholizer test, I’ll get a zero point zero and we’ll be gone in five minutes,” said student Michael Adams.

Attorney David Mays says the seminar will help put students on an equal playing field as officers when it comes to knowing their rights.

“I don’t think students always understand the consequences of the actions that they’re doing on a regular basis and once they understand those consequences then they can make an informed decision and they have no excuse if they make a mistake,” said  Mays.

As always, if you’ve been drinking, the best way to avoid a DUI charge is to call a taxi or have a sober friend drive you home.