If you have been accused of Driving Under the Influence (DUI), you will need legal assistance to have your best chance at winning your case, or possibly obtaining a reduction of charges. Virtually no other misdemeanor crime can wreak havoc on your life in the ways that being convicted of driving drunk will do.
Law enforcement personnel who arrest suspected intoxicated drivers not only has free attorneys to represent them and prepare for court. In many jurisdictions, police handling drunk driving cases have undergone mock trial training to calm the officer’s nerves for later appearances in court on operating under the influence cases.
In the United States, alcohol-impaired driving dominates the number of arrests each year. Drug-impaired driving falls to a distant second place in all states to drunk drivers. Plus, most of those arrests are for being impaired by illicit drugs, versus taking too much of their prescription drugs.
In addition, although many accident cases for DWI vs DUI drivers are reported, many times the main contributing factor to those accidents is excessive speed. Once again, crashes involving intoxicated driving due to alcohol consumption substantially dwarf the motor vehicle crashes caused by drugged driving.
Many drugged drivers in 2023 may be impaired by the effects of marijuana, in light of a trend toward the legalization of weed. One of the byproducts of smoking weed is that the drivers who tested positive for ganja are often traveling under the posted speed limit and are not posing a highway risk by their aggressive driving or reckless driving.
Why Hire a Skilled Legal Counsel to act as Your DUI Defense Lawyer
If you have been charged with driving while intoxicated, it is wise to hire a DUI lawyer to help you navigate the legal proceedings and attempt to lessen the repercussions you may face. This drunk driving attorney will provide counsel throughout your trial and help make sure that your defense of the impaired driving case is as effective as possible.
A DUI lawyer’s responsibility is to maximize your chances of success in court by constructing an effective defense. This capability hinges on extensive training beyond completing law school and passing the State’s Bar exam.
In every nation, a successful DUI defense (in Canada, France, or Great Britain) often hinges on the criminal defense lawyer knowing more than the arresting officer, about forensic breath test results, blood tests (for alcohol or drugs), and the equipment that delivers these “results”. Learning basic toxicology and human metabolism is a mandatory part of the best DUI defenders’ arsenals.
A savvy attorney may advise against taking the stand in a criminal case if it could be detrimental to the accused’s case, as the prosecution’s questioning may be aggressive, and the defendant could inadvertently weaken their defense.
Another advantage of hiring a DUI attorney in your area is that she or he will know the criminal courts (and the personnel in those local tribunals) incredibly well. This invaluable, prior litigation experience in your local criminal courthouse can provide a tremendous advantage in many cases.
Money is no Object: Get an Appointed DUI lawyer. For those without funds to hire legal counsel to fight their DUI charge, they must request the appointment of a public defender. Often, criminal courts will have a seasoned criminal litigator that knows the judge and the assigned prosecuting attorney that is pursuing your case.
Driving impaired cases can be highly complex litigation efforts. Court rules require that multiple “filing” deadlines be met, as your case progresses.
DUI attorneys are well-versed in fulfilling these time requirements (e.g., that any defense motions must be filed 20 days after the arraignment date) and will meet their due date for filing. Plus, the nearby criminal litigators will know other experts for gathering the relevant evidence to assist in defending someone who has been charged with a DUI, be it from drugs or alcohol.
More importantly, the top litigation attorneys bring “clout” to the table. By not pleading their client guilty at an early court date and having a pre-trial motion hearing, this sends a message to the prosecutor that the battle is “on.” This type of reputation is a part of the negotiation power that can often be used with prosecutors, which benefits the defendant (the accused person).
What Happens If You Don’t Retain an Attorney for a DUI?
Consequences of a DUI Conviction. If you are convicted of driving under the influence of either alcohol or drugs, you likely face some incredibly severe consequences. In many states, any conviction lasts forever, with no chance of expungement.
For example, DUI convictions generally result in jail time, extensive probation, being required to complete community service hours, and paying monetary fines and surcharges. A few states offer diversion or a first DUI record restriction after so “waiting period,” but over half the states do not.
Plus, in most states, loss of your driving license will occur. For some jurisdictions, being required to install ignition interlocks to their vehicles will be a mandatory step to license reinstatement.
Our team of legal experts strongly urges anyone facing a DUI trial to hire a lawyer. It is technically possible to handle your own defense, but it is rarely a wise decision. The outcome of such a trial is too important to risk handling it without the necessary preparation and experience.
Our attorneys have seen firsthand how challenging these proceedings can be, and the only way to ensure success is to have a qualified professional in your corner. From experience, our lawyers know how difficult trials can be, and it takes immense courtroom and trial preparation experience to be able to succeed in them.
What will Be a Fair Criminal Lawyer Cost for my Case?
In DUI cases, the first thing someone accused of DWI-DUI may wonder is if they will benefit from the services of a lawyer or a public defender. It is generally discouraged to act as your own lawyer if you are accused of any crime, according to those who have knowledge of the legal process.
The legal fee you can expect to pay for your attorney for DUI defense will depend on:
(a) the complexity of your case
(b) your prior criminal history, particularly for operating while intoxicated convictions
(c) how aggravating factors could impact plea negotiations, such as having an excessively his alcohol level, or being in a fender bender, or not immediately stopping at the scene of an accident.
Since most DUI legal firms charge by “stages” of their client’s cases, legal fees will likely be higher if your court proceedings extend for a long time period, or some type of interim appeal is needed. Roughly commensurate with the total hours of time required, the price for legal representation will go up.
For a free legal consultation with a DUI defense attorney near your local court, call our toll-free, always-answered hotline number, to learn about proven criminal law defense professionals in your state. Putting such a valuable "player" on your side to defend all of your rights provides a wealth of legal experience in criminal defense.
The DUI-DWI attorneys on our directory answer their phones 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and even on Holidays. Contact us at 1-888-839-4384 to receive your initial criminal cases lawyer consultation.