Photo by CC user 23707033@N03 on Flickr
You were just going out with some close friends or family members for a couple of innocent drinks. Maybe it was just a few hours out with some co-workers. Perhaps it was even just a date.
No matter what the occasion was, you ended up having one too many drinks, thereby landing you in hot water.
That hot water involved being stopped by law enforcement while behind the wheel of your vehicle. Now, the problem is you are facing a Driving under the Influence (DUI) charge, something that can have negative repercussions on both your personal and professional life.
In the event you are facing such problems, where do you go for help?
Before you can make that first DUI your last one, you obviously have to deal with the current challenge you face.
So, will one too many drinks sink your way of life?
Finding the Best Attorney Out There
When you have a DUI hanging over your head, there is much to be worried about.
For starters, you could end up going to jail for a period of time if the charge sticks, especially if your actions led to one or more people being injured in an auto accident.
Secondly, your career could definitely be on the line.
Stop for a moment to think about how a DUI conviction could hinder you in not only keeping your present job, but also limiting you in the choices you would have available if looking for another one. Yes, the possibilities are quite frightening.
As you search for a DUI accident attorney, you want one that has years of experience, along with court savvy.
He or she should be someone who has a very good idea of how the prosecution will try and come after you.
Do they have overwhelming evidence to land a conviction against you? Will they be open to a plea deal if their evidence is not quite as concrete as they may have once thought, though you still do not have the upper-hand?
Once you have decided on your criminal defense attorney, it is imperative that you provide him or her with the following information:
- Details of your traffic stop – When you were pulled over, did law enforcement do everything by the book? Was your vehicle checked to make sure it was safe for the road? In some instances, any erratic driving may have in fact been due to an issue with the vehicle, not necessarily you at the wheel. Also, did law enforcement properly read you your rights as they were placing you under arrest? Did law enforcement properly handle you in terms of not being overly aggressive? Were you allowed to state your side of events? Any items that sound out of the ordinary during your traffic stop, especially as pertaining to your rights, by all means share those with your legal representation;
- Testing – Were you given a breathalyzer test at the scene of the stop and/or have blood work drawn at the station or jail? It is important to make sure that any and all testing was done accurately, especially avoiding any kind of mistakes being made with other samples etc. Once again, any disregard for your rights and/or safety during that time should be brought up with your legal team;
- Defense – Lastly, what kind of defense you mount goes a long way in determining whether you can escape a conviction altogether or could possibly end up accepting a plea deal. Is there any video evidence or eyewitness testimony to show that you in fact were not driving erratically? Is it possible you had taken a prescription med and then had a small amount of alcohol; possibly throwing your equilibrium off to the point where you appeared intoxicated? Unless the prosecution has a slam dunk case against you, it is imperative that you fight these charges all the way through.
With all that is riding on your DUI case, make sure you have the best legal representation out there.
If you don’t (or if you try and represent yourself), you could find out that your way of life as you knew it (at least for the immediate future) is all but sunk.
