You must take a DUI arrest seriously. This is not a traffic ticket. It’s a criminal matter that could seriously impact your freedom, career, finances and relationships. You need to act to protect your rights, freedoms, and future and the time to act is now.
Don’t give up. Just because you’ve been arrested doesn’t mean you actually broke the law or will be convicted at a trial. You may have many valid defenses to the charge without even realizing it. A DUI arrest doesn’t mean a conviction. You have a chance to fight this.
- Law enforcement may not have had probable cause to pull you over.
- The officer may not have followed proper procedure.
- Tests used to determine your Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) level may not have been conducted properly.
- Field sobriety tests are not accurate ways to determine if a driver is intoxicated and can be impacted by a number of issues involving you and the police officer.
- Breathalyzers may not have been properly calibrated or used. The officer may not have observed you for a sufficient period of time.
- If a blood test was used law enforcement may not be able to show the proper chain of possession of the evidence and the blood sample used may be retested to show your initial results were too high.
- Your BAC level may have been impacted by your diet or health conditions.
- If you were stopped at a DUI checkpoint, it may not have been conducted properly and your Constitutional rights may have been violated.
- There are many possible penalties for a DUI conviction. You need to avoid them if at all possible.
- You may get a lengthy prison term, pay a heavy fine, or be put on probation for an extended period of time.
- Your license may be suspended or restricted, limiting your ability to drive.
- If you’re unable to drive or need to appear to multiple hearings or spend time in prison, that inability to get to work may result in the loss of your job and your ability to financially support yourself and your family.
- A DUI conviction may prevent you from obtaining a future job or join the military and may need to be disclosed on job applications.
- A DUI conviction may prohibit you from traveling to certain countries.
- Your auto insurance may be canceled, not renewed or the premium may increase sharply.
- A conviction for DUI may be viewed as risky behavior by life insurance underwriters, which may make it difficult or expensive to obtain life insurance.
- If you are arrested again in the future, a conviction could make potential penalties more severe.
Most criminal proceedings are resolved through a plea bargain agreement where the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for a lighter sentence. Without legal counsel, you are in no position to negotiate with a prosecutor because you don’t know,
- All the relevant facts and laws applicable to your case,
- Whether you have valid defenses to the charge,
- The chances of a dismissal or conviction if you go to trial,
- The likely punishment if you are convicted, or
- Whether a proposed plea bargain is fair or not.
If you’ve been arrested for DUI, you need to talk to a knowledgeable, experienced attorney so you can fully understand,
- Your situation,
- The potential penalties you face,
- The possible defenses to the charge, and
- Your best options for going forward.
Going through the criminal justice system unknowing of the law and your rights is a recipe for disaster. Avoid that disaster by filling out the form below and scheduling a free consultation with a DUI defense attorney. You can fight this!
