Everyone makes mistakes, and we’re not here to judge. We are entitled to the best legal representation available to us, and we are innocent until proven guilty. Especially with offenses like drinking and driving, your representation will help you prove that you are a levelheaded, practical, decent citizen who had a lapse of judgment – albeit an unfortunate one.
A DUI can seriously affect the rest of your life. It could result in jail time, job loss, losing your driver’s license, increased insurance rates, impounding of your car, probation, community service, and alcohol education/counseling, among other things.
Driving under the influence, DUI, is a funny offense. Not funny-haha, clearly, but funny-awkward, because it falls in a strange place in the legal system. See, it would seem that a DUI is pretty cut and dry. You blow into a breathalyzer, bam. There’s the evidence, there’s the conviction. You were driving with blood/alcohol level over the limit. Guilty, right? Well, not necessarily. A lot of people only get lawyers to help them through their court proceedings, but they don’t bother finding a lawyer who may actually help reduce the charges, because they think there is no point. They drove while drunk, they’re guilty. However, this is not the right attitude to take. Now, we’re not saying you should really go for it and lie, cheat the system, and find a lawyer who will get you off. Again, DUIs are cut and dry. You broke the law, you’re going to have to pay for it somehow. But, a good DUI lawyer can really assess the entire situation and reduce the sentence or the fine, or change it to be a different charge. Basically, you have to pay for your mistake (because let’s face it, it’s a severe one) but you don’t want that mistake to haunt the rest of your life.
What is a DUI Lawyer?
A DUI lawyer specializes in DUI cases just as any other lawyer has a specialty, like malpractice. It’s so important to find a DUI lawyer specifically, because this is their entire career. They have so much valuable experience in defending DUI cases, and because it is their focus, they know ins, outs, details, and fine print that more lawyers of more general practices may not know. Their experience allows them to see every angle.
In any state, you’re looking at some tough charges for a DUI. It’s a serious offense. The right DUI lawyer can get your sentence lowered to a fine, community service, and/or counseling, perhaps directly through AA. Plus, of course the uniform loss of license for six months – although, a DUI lawyer can help your chances of getting a conditional license so you can commute to and from work.
Who should seek out a DUI Lawyer?
Pretty self-explanatory. Anyone who gets arrested for driving with a blood/alcohol level over the limits set by the state the arrest takes place in. You will go to court, you will be charged, you need a lawyer.
What are the benefits of using a DUI Lawyer?
An ideal situation would be if the arresting police officer has made a mistake. Maybe he or she didn’t breathalyze test you both on the scene and at the police station, so the reading may be inaccurate. Maybe he or she was out of his or her jurisdiction. Whatever the case, a good DUI lawyer can get the case thrown out, or reduced, under these circumstances. Remember this should still be a wake up call (ie: stop drinking and driving!!), however you now won’t have to deal with the penalties, or at least not with all of them.
A DUI can seriously affect the rest of your life. It could result in jail time, job loss, losing your driver’s license, increased insurance rates, impounding of your car, probation, community service, and alcohol education/counseling, among other things. The courts will make sure you pay the price somehow, and no lawyer can change that. But a good DUI lawyer can get the charges down to what is manageable, whether that’s a conditional license so you can still make a living, forgoing jail time for community service, etc. You want to protect yourself, because no matter what, you have the right to. Make sure the price you pay isn’t so high you can’t overcome it for years to come. By finding a DUI lawyer in your state, you’re recruiting someone who knows every law regarding DUI in and out. This is a priceless resource.
What are the risks of using a DUI lawyer?
Well, there are no risks of using a DUI lawyer, directly, but you have to remember that the lawyer will be an aid, not a miracle. You broke the law, you will pay somehow. A DUI lawyer cannot make the charges go away if there’s hard evidence like breathalyzer results. But he or she can help you, and can take care of all the things you may not even think of. He or she can reduce charges or find mistakes in the prosecution. You just have to be realistic.
The only thing to watch out for with a DUI lawyer, as with any lawyer or even any service, is cost. Make sure you are thorough and careful with fees. A lot of lawyers charge more to actually fight the case, say if the police were out of jurisdiction and you want the entire case thrown out. Set a budget you can actually afford and work with your lawyer. This is time to pick your battles. You will get the most out of being completely honest, straightforward, and realistic with yourself and your lawyer.
