When You Need a DUI Lawyer
When to call a DUI lawyer? If you’ve been driving under the influence and have been caught, it might seem like everything is pretty open and shut. No need to call for a car accident attorney, right? Maybe not. If you’ve been charged with a DUI or DWI and are wondering “do I need a criminal attorney?” read on:
When to Call a DUI Lawyer? If You’ve Been Charged At All
It may seem open and shut to you, but DUI law is actually very complicated and every case deals with a different set of facts. Someone without any legal training is not going to know about all the possible defenses available against a DUI charge, or about ways to fight for minimized consequences: especially if this is a first offense.
When to Call a DUI Lawyer? You Need Someone Invested in You
You might be thinking you can represent yourself or that you simply can’t afford a private attorney. If you say you can’t pay, you can be appointed a public defender, but if there isn’t one available you might get stuck with a panel attorney: a private lawyer paid by the court. In either case, the most common complaint about court-ordered lawyers is not getting enough attention and time. You could very likely get inferior legal services from a court-appointed lawyer who is busy and distracted by more profitable cases. It makes sense to hire someone whose priority in your case is you.
When to Call a DUI Lawyer? When You have to Haggle with the DMVYou
Most DUI charges will have two proceedings. You’ll have to go through a criminal case, which a court-appointed criminal lawyer can help you with. But you’ll also have to go through driver’s license suspension with your Department of Motor Vehicles. A court-appointed lawyer can’t help you with that, and if you depend on your freedom to drive for your livelihood, this second procedure is an important part of your DUI defense.
When to Call a DUI Lawyer? When the Prosecutor Offers a Plea
A lot of these cases are settled by plea deals, and many times a prosecutor will have a standard deal to offer first offenders: usually the minimum possible sentence. Even if this is the case, though, a skilled drunk driving defense may be able to bargain even this down. And if you get a prosecutor who wants to make an example of you because he’s having a bad day, you’ll definitely appreciate having a skilled defense attorney.
When to Call a DUI Lawyer? You Can’t Afford to Irritate the Judge
A lot of your future rides on making as good an impression with the judge as possible, considering the circumstances. If you have no courtroom experience, it’s highly likely the judge will have little patience with your learning curve if you try to represent yourself. A good attorney will be able to advise you on the right courtroom dress and demeanor, as well, not only in general but possibly even specifically if they have come before a particular judge before.
Drunk driving is a serious issues, but you are still entitled to the best possible representation you can get. If you are charged with a DUI, make sure you get someone who can help you understand all the intricacies of your situation and get you the best outcome.
