If you are arrested for DUI/DWI, take your situation very seriously. Whether it is your first offense or a repeat offense, you will be facing fines, suspension of your driver’s license, and possibly a jail or prison sentence. Because of this, make every effort to hire an experienced and knowledgeable DUI/DWI attorney with a track record of success in these cases. By doing so, they will be able to help you in a variety of ways.
Reduction of Charges
Once you hire an experienced DUI lawyer to handle your case, you instantly increase the chances the charges against you will be reduced. Since court dockets in California are jammed with cases waiting to be heard, prosecutors are always looking to cut a deal. Thus, if you have no prior criminal record or were involved in an incident where no other drivers or pedestrians were injured or killed, your attorney can often get charges reduced to a misdemeanor, allowing you to keep your license and resume your life.
Examining Evidence
In many situations where persons are arrested for DUI/DWI, a skilled attorney who specializes in these cases can closely examine the evidence against their client and find numerous mistakes were made. For example, it is often discovered the arresting officer failed to properly administer a breathalyzer test or field sobriety tests, failed to clearly explain instructions for tests, or perhaps did not have reasonable cause to pull over a driver. Whatever the case may be, having an experienced lawyer on your side will often result in them being able to undermine the officer’s testimony, leading to an acquittal or the charges being dropped prior to trial.
Negotiating a Plea Bargain
If you have multiple DUI/DWI offenses and are facing stiff fines and prison sentences, your lawyer can often use their knowledge of the justice system to negotiate a plea bargain with prosecutors. Thus, rather than facing felony charges that could land you in prison for decades, your attorney may be able to get the charges reduced to misdemeanors, leading to a much shorter jail sentence.
Representation at a DMV Hearing
When you are arrested for DUI/DWI in California, your license is automatically taken from you by the police. In its place, you are given a temporary license that will expire in 30 days unless you request a hearing at the DMV. According to California law, you have only 10 days from the date of your arrest to request this hearing, so act quickly. While you are not required to have a lawyer present at this hearing, it is highly recommended. Since this will be your only chance to stop this “administrative suspension” of your license, never choose to go it alone. If you do, you will likely be without your license for quite some time.
While DUI/DWI cases can be very complex, they are often some of the cases skilled attorneys are able to win on a consistent basis. Though you may initially fear the worst, hiring an experienced Redding CA DUI attorney who can carefully evaluate your case will quickly make you realize all hope is certainly not lost.
