If I’m stopped and the police ask me if I have been drinking, what should I say?
You have a Constitutional right not to answer potentially incriminating questions. Therefore, you may politely respond, “I would like to speak with an attorney before I answer any questions”. In practice, the police will ask you to step out of the car regardless of what your response is. However, under Rhode Island law, the police must have “reasonable suspicion” to ask you to submit to a chemical test and “probable cause” to arrest you, so any admission of drinking will most likely be used to your detriment.
