DUI charges can be confusing at times. There may be potential loop holes and pitfalls in DUI offenses that should be understood clearly. Following are some of the common mistakes made by the convict after the DUI arrest. Knowing the most common mistakes and how to correct them will help the convict to make an informed decision.
1. €I Don't Need a Lawyer.€
If you have been charged with a DUI offense, you have some very important decisions to make. A conviction will likely follow you for the rest of your life. The €other side€ will have a lawyer representing its interests against you. If you are relying upon the prosecuting attorney to advise you of your best interests, you are making a big mistake.
2. Choosing a wrong attorney
If you have been arrested for driving while under the influence, your lawyer may be able to get your charges rejected or request an €in-office hearing€ before your charges are filed. This may avoid going to court all together. However, not all attorneys are alike. In many instances the outcome of your case may hinge more on having the right DUI attorney rather than the case law in your favor. Ask these questions: How frequently they handle DUI cases? How they keep up with the changes in the laws? You can check the attorney's website, which often lists the attorney's experience, education, and speaking engagements.
3. Not taking the conviction seriously
DUI is a charge that could follow you for years. Your insurance company may also cancel or raise your rates by thousands of dollars based on your conviction. You may face probation for extended years, and license suspension. And finally, it is alarming how you may ruin your career.
4. Talking to the Police
Don't let the police try to coerce you into talking. Always be polite but firm and tell the officers that you are invoking your right to remain silent and do not want to speak with any of them until your drunk driving attorney is present.
5. Pleading guilty without a good investigation
Many people plead guilty with woefully inadequate information about the consequences of their plea. The truth is, by pleading guilty or no contest to DUI, you may never be able to put it behind you. Immediately pleading guilty does not allow your lawyer to properly scrutinize the case for errors. Often there are police errors, and discrepancies in the case that could allow your DUI charges to be dismissed. A qualified DUI lawyer could assist in finding these errors; however, if you quickly plead guilty, your attorney will not be able to explore these possible defenses in your case.
6. Do not hide anything from your attorney
Honesty is paramount in DUI cases. Even if a potential client is successful in hiding information from his or her lawyer during the initial consultation, that evidence will eventually surface during the proceedings. Your attorney can evaluate the case better if he or she knows all of the evidence from the very beginning.
7. Speaking with anyone other than your lawyer about your case
Remember that anything you say may be manipulated by the prosecution to indicate your guilt. Protect your right to remain silent, and, aside from your criminal defense lawyer, don't speak to anyone about your case. You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Anything you do say may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future. However, if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish.
If you or a loved one has been charged with a DUI crime, it is imperative that you seek the counsel of a qualified drunk driving attorney. Unfortunately, relatively minor mistakes can jeopardize your case. Therefore, the most important move you can make is to contact an experienced attorney as soon as you are convicted. A good DUI attorney will obtain your driving record, get all the facts, and often, will never let you down.
1. €I Don't Need a Lawyer.€
If you have been charged with a DUI offense, you have some very important decisions to make. A conviction will likely follow you for the rest of your life. The €other side€ will have a lawyer representing its interests against you. If you are relying upon the prosecuting attorney to advise you of your best interests, you are making a big mistake.
2. Choosing a wrong attorney
If you have been arrested for driving while under the influence, your lawyer may be able to get your charges rejected or request an €in-office hearing€ before your charges are filed. This may avoid going to court all together. However, not all attorneys are alike. In many instances the outcome of your case may hinge more on having the right DUI attorney rather than the case law in your favor. Ask these questions: How frequently they handle DUI cases? How they keep up with the changes in the laws? You can check the attorney's website, which often lists the attorney's experience, education, and speaking engagements.
3. Not taking the conviction seriously
DUI is a charge that could follow you for years. Your insurance company may also cancel or raise your rates by thousands of dollars based on your conviction. You may face probation for extended years, and license suspension. And finally, it is alarming how you may ruin your career.
4. Talking to the Police
Don't let the police try to coerce you into talking. Always be polite but firm and tell the officers that you are invoking your right to remain silent and do not want to speak with any of them until your drunk driving attorney is present.
5. Pleading guilty without a good investigation
Many people plead guilty with woefully inadequate information about the consequences of their plea. The truth is, by pleading guilty or no contest to DUI, you may never be able to put it behind you. Immediately pleading guilty does not allow your lawyer to properly scrutinize the case for errors. Often there are police errors, and discrepancies in the case that could allow your DUI charges to be dismissed. A qualified DUI lawyer could assist in finding these errors; however, if you quickly plead guilty, your attorney will not be able to explore these possible defenses in your case.
6. Do not hide anything from your attorney
Honesty is paramount in DUI cases. Even if a potential client is successful in hiding information from his or her lawyer during the initial consultation, that evidence will eventually surface during the proceedings. Your attorney can evaluate the case better if he or she knows all of the evidence from the very beginning.
7. Speaking with anyone other than your lawyer about your case
Remember that anything you say may be manipulated by the prosecution to indicate your guilt. Protect your right to remain silent, and, aside from your criminal defense lawyer, don't speak to anyone about your case. You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Anything you do say may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future. However, if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish.
If you or a loved one has been charged with a DUI crime, it is imperative that you seek the counsel of a qualified drunk driving attorney. Unfortunately, relatively minor mistakes can jeopardize your case. Therefore, the most important move you can make is to contact an experienced attorney as soon as you are convicted. A good DUI attorney will obtain your driving record, get all the facts, and often, will never let you down.
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