What to Do During a DUI Traffic Stop in Utah
What you must provide, what you don't have to say, and how the roadside investigation works from the moment you pull over.
If you are in court and a judge is deciding your freedom, the custody of your children, whether you will be evicted, or a significant amount of your property, you will generally get a much better result with a competent attorney.
See How Jim Can HelpIf police want to talk to you: do not talk. Ask for an attorney. Read why →
“I have been where you are.”
Jim’s robbery conviction, his disbarment, and the twenty year road back. Why it makes him a better lawyer →
Tap a topic to see what to do and how Jim can help.
DUI / Impaired Driving
Arrested for DUI or impaired driving?
License suspension, implied consent, breath tests, field sobriety, court dates. What happens next and what your options are.
More information →Drug Possession / Distribution
Charged with a drug offense in Utah?
Possession, distribution, paraphernalia, controlled substance charges. What the law says and how these cases are defended.
More information →Domestic Violence / Protective Order
Charged with domestic violence or served with a protective order?
A DV arrest can trigger three simultaneous proceedings: criminal, civil protective order, and DCFS. Federal firearms consequences apply immediately.
More information →Felony Charge
Facing a felony in Utah?
Felonies range from third-degree to first-degree. Prison time, loss of voting rights, firearms, and employment consequences all depend on how the case is handled from the start.
More information →Misdemeanor Charge
Charged with a misdemeanor?
Misdemeanors are not minor to you. A conviction means jail time, fines, probation, and a record that appears on background checks for housing, jobs, and licenses.
More information →Sex Crime Accusation
Accused of a sex offense in Utah?
Sex crime accusations move fast and carry consequences that extend far beyond the criminal case itself. Registry, housing, employment, and family law are all affected.
More information →Assault or Battery
Charged with assault in Utah?
Assault charges range from Class B misdemeanor to first-degree felony depending on circumstances, weapon use, and victim status. The details of the arrest matter enormously.
More information →Theft / Shoplifting / Burglary
Arrested for theft or burglary in Utah?
Many first-offense theft and shoplifting cases qualify for diversion, which can result in dismissal and no criminal record. Do not plead guilty before speaking with an attorney.
More information →Not sure what applies? Call for a free consultation.
Free Consultation: (801) 641-0883Two cases start the moment you are arrested: a criminal case in court and a license case at the Driver License Division. You have only 10 days from the arrest to request the license hearing. Jim handles both cases.
Pulled Over · Critical First Minutes
When you see red and blue in the mirror, what you say in the next two minutes will shape your entire case.
Once 911 is called, the case belongs to the state. Your partner cannot drop the charges, and the release conditions usually mean no contact, even at home, even by text. A DV arrest can also trigger a protective order and a DCFS investigation at the same time. Do not talk to police, and do not violate the no-contact conditions. Get counsel before your first court date.
You decide how much help you need. You pay for that and nothing more.
Option 1
Full Representation
Jim takes the whole case: strategy, filings, negotiation, hearings, and trial when it comes to that. For contested divorce, custody, and support fights where the outcome matters most.
Option 2
Form & Document Help
You represent yourself. Jim drafts and checks the paperwork, walks you through the procedure, and flags the traps before you hit them. Far less expensive than full representation.
Option 3 · $500 Flat Fee
Uncontested Petition
When you and your spouse already agree on the terms, Jim turns that agreement into a signed decree. $500 flat fee plus the $325 court filing fee, with all paperwork drafted and filed.
Not sure which option fits? Call Jim and he will tell you straight, in one conversation, at no charge.
A civil stalking injunction is a court order against a person who keeps following, contacting, watching, or threatening you. You do not need to file criminal charges to get one. In urgent cases the court can issue it the same day you ask. Violating it is a crime.
Jim has handled civil stalking injunction cases and knows what judges look for. If you need protection, or if an injunction has been filed against you, call before the hearing.
A criminal record follows you into every job application, rental search, and licensing proceeding. Utah law allows many offenses to be expunged and sealed from public view so you can legally say the arrest or conviction never happened. Jim handles the entire process: eligibility review, BCI Certificate of Eligibility, petition drafting, and court hearings.
Misdemeanor Expungement
$500
Flat fee for a single qualifying misdemeanor conviction. BCI and court filing fees are additional.
Felony Expungement
From $1,000
Fee depends on complexity. Free consultation to review your record and determine the exact fee.
If you were served with a lawsuit, the clock is already running. If you do not file an Answer, the other side wins by default and can collect against your wages and property. Jim defends lawsuits, drafts answers and counterclaims, and handles contract disputes, defamation, and post-judgment problems.
About Jim Tily
“I tell you what the case is worth, what it will cost, and what the realistic outcomes are. Before the work begins.”
Jim grew up along Philadelphia’s Main Line, graduated from Penn State, and earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2000. During law school he worked in the legal department of the Communications Workers of America in Washington, D.C., on federal labor and employment litigation, class actions, and proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board.
After Georgetown, Jim joined Anderson & Karrenberg in Salt Lake City, focusing on pretrial motion practice in federal and state court, commercial disputes, employment cases, and the Stenovich shareholder class action arising from First Security’s merger with Wells Fargo. He later served as a public defender in Washington County, Utah, representing adults and juveniles across the full range of felony and misdemeanor charges, including felony jury trials.
In June 2025 Jim joined the criminal defense firm Skordas & Caston as a law clerk and was immediately working on serious felony cases in federal and state court. He prepared his own petition for relicensure, which was granted in August 2025, and he was admitted to practice that same month. Read the whole story here.
As an attorney at Skordas & Caston, Jim worked on numerous felony and misdemeanor cases throughout the Salt Lake valley and argued criminal and civil motions in Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, Summit, and Utah counties. He served as second chair in a felony jury trial. His cases included DUI, sex crimes, probation violations, orders to show cause, and discovery litigation in federal court. On the civil side he handled divorce, protective orders, child protective orders, and civil stalking injunctions. He represented clients in DCFS administrative actions, represented crime victims asserting their rights in criminal cases, defended police officers in POST discipline proceedings, served as grievance representative for a state law enforcement officer against the Department of Public Safety, and handled administrative matters before the Utah State Bar’s Office of Professional Conduct and Admissions. In April 2026 he opened his own firm, Tily Law LLC.
Today Jim practices criminal defense and civil litigation in state and federal courts across the Salt Lake valley. He handles every case personally. Telephone calls and emails are returned the same day.
What you must provide, what you don't have to say, and how the roadside investigation works from the moment you pull over.
You have 10 days from arrest to request a Driver License Division hearing. Miss it and your license is automatically suspended.
Every type of DUI charge in Utah, from standard DUI and impaired driving to metabolite DUI, felony DUI, and automobile homicide, with a penalty chart.
More DUI guides: Field sobriety tests · After a DUI arrest · Booking and implied consent · The court process
A DV arrest can trigger a criminal case, a civil protective order, and a DCFS or APS investigation at the same time. How each one works.
Once 911 is called, the case belongs to the state. Why someone usually goes to jail, why your partner cannot drop the charges, and what to do next.
When police are talking to you, they are gathering evidence against you. What to say and what never to say.
Even simple possession is usually a felony in Utah. Knowing your Fourth Amendment rights can make or break your case.
The prosecutor represents the state, not you. Utah crime victims have enforceable rights, and a victim rights attorney makes sure yours are heard.
Affordable does not mean inadequate. What to look for, what to ask, and how attorney fees actually work.
What stalking means under Utah law, how a civil stalking injunction works, and what happens to someone who violates it.
Parents lose custody on process, not on the facts. Why the first order sticks, and the three levels of help Jim offers so you are never in there alone.
Firearms, jobs, housing, custody, and criminal exposure. What both sides need to understand before the hearing, not after the order is final.
The order took effect when you were served, and the window to contest it is days, not weeks. Every contact is now a chargeable crime. Act fast.
What you say to a caseworker this week can be read aloud at a custody hearing next year. How investigations work and how to handle one.
You have 21 days to respond. What that means, what goes in your Answer, and what happens if you do nothing.
An eviction notice can feel impossible. Know who's suing you, what your defenses are, and how much time you actually have.
A criminal record affects jobs, housing, and more. Learn about Utah's Clean Slate law, petition-based expungement, eligibility, and the step-by-step process.
Jim will help you understand your options and develop an immediate plan of action. Consultations are free.
Get in Touch
Don't wait. The sooner you have an attorney, the better your options. Consultations are free and confidential. Call or send a message and Jim will get back to you promptly.