Dealing with a DUI is scary. To help deal with the issue, we discussed all the moves you could and should make.
Find the Right Lawyer
Drunk driving charges are no joke. You could have your license suspended or even revoked. The best way to deal with DUI charges would be hiring a good lawyer. He will be able to mitigate the issue. As you can imagine, he might be a bit pricey. But you can think of the fees you’ll be paying as an investment, as you would be saving yourself from going to jail.
If you’re in a large city a lawyer you trust can easily be found. The court process would be long, so having someone you feel comfortable with is vital.
Do You Want to Plead?
When you meet with the solicitor, you would be told all of your options to handle the situation. You might have to plead the sentence if your case doesn’t look good. Why would you want to do this, though?
If you fight the case but are charged as guilty, you could get a heavy jail sentence. By pleading guilty, the charge would be lessened. And you’d be saving time, not going to court all the time.
If you want to, negotiating a plea bargain is another option. You and the judge would come to an agreement, saving you from a harsher sentence. It’s quite similar to pleading guilty.
Are You Going to Fight It?
If you’re going to fight the charge, make sure that you have a very good case. When police suspect that people are driving under the influence, they make them take blood alcohol tests. Anything above the 0.008% mark would show that you are under the influence. It’d be very hard to fight this, if this data is shown to a judge.
Although hard, it is not impossible. That’s why you’re advised to have a good legal representator to expertly handle DUI charges. The money spent would reap a huge return.
This could result in different outcomes. The least severe would be paying a fine – probably $500 – $2,000 USD. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you could be sent to prison for a minimum of one year, your license could be suspended, or you’d be put on house arrest.
If your vehicle is leased, say goodbye to it. There is a chance of it getting impounded.
Go for A Jury
Why not request a jury? The jurors that would be viewing your case could buy what you and your lawyer are selling. If not for that, they might find you guilty of something less severe than drunk driving at least.
A DUI is one of the worst things you could be charged with – you’d have to go to court for a long time to deal with it, which would restrict your personal and work life extensively. You could have your license suspended and your vehicle impounded too. The worst would be getting a jail sentence, which is very possible.