Being charged with DUI results in the need for fast action. Not only do you have to defend the charges against you, but you also have to fight to keep your driver’s license. Many DUI cases can be successfully defended, but you do need the right defense attorney helping you. The first thing you should do if you are arrested for DUI is to call for help. This call can be to a friend or family member who can assist getting you out of jail, so you can focus on finding an attorney to defend your case. The pieces that make up your defense will depend on the facts of your case, but there are some things that are common to most cases. Identifying the evidence that supports your position is key, but skilled DUI defense attorneys know where to look. Your job is to partner with an experienced attorney and provide them all the information needed to develop your defense. If you are able to take that step your case should proceed without incident.
But not every defendant makes choices that help their case, and three ways to ruin your DUI defense is:
- Letting the first ten days after the arrest go by without taking any action. These first ten days are critical in that this is the only time you have to ask for a review of your driver’s license revocation. You will not likely get a hearing within the first ten days, but you do have to ask for one during that time. Failure to do so means you lose your right to drive.
- Leaving out information about the stop and arrest when talking things over with your attorney. Just because a piece of information seems insignificant does not mean that it should not be revealed. It is near impossible for any attorney to provide representation without all of the facts. So be sure to tell your attorney everything that happened, then rest assured knowing nothing has been overlooked.
- Going it alone. It might seem easier and cheaper to defend yourself, but the opportunity to take a misstep and the stakes are too high for pro se representation in a DUI. If you make this choice you will be held to the same standards as an attorney and the Court will expect you to know all of the nuances of the law. Any misunderstanding or misinformation will not be cause for favorable treatment just because you are not an attorney.
Our job is to defend people charged with criminal offenses and we take a special interest in DUI and traffic related matters. Let us put our experience to work for you. Call us today to talk with one of our experienced legal professionals and get your case started off on the right track. Our criminal defense attorneys can help.
For more information about DUI and traffic ticket defense, call an experienced defense attorney in Stuart and the Treasure Coast. We offer an initial consultation for no charge, and look forward to working with you.