Being detained for DUI can be stressful and expensive. If you are accused of DUI, you might be considering hiring an attorney. Like many people, you might be concerned about the cost of hiring an attorney or about how to find a lawyer who would stand up for your interests and fight for your rights. You might also assume that, given how straightforward the situation is, defending oneself will be straightforward, particularly if you intend to admit guilt to the allegations.
You are legally entitled to legal representation if you are detained on suspicion of a crime. If you meet certain financial standards, an attorney will be appointed to you at no cost if you cannot afford one. Many people find themselves in a difficult situation where their salary is too high to hire a court-appointed attorney but not quite high enough to hire a private DUI lawyer.
They might conclude from this that they should go by themselves. If you are competent, you will typically be permitted to represent yourself. However, just because you have the option to speak for yourself in a situation does not mean it is a wise move. As the saying goes, “A lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client.”
Why Do You Require Legal Counsel?
DUI accusations may seem simple: either you were or you weren’t operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. However, defending against DUI allegations calls for a certain level of knowledge. This includes everything from legal processes to the science behind how your body processes alcohol to how similar cases are often handled. Most non-attorneys are ignorant of this, as are most attorneys who don’t specialize in DUI defense.
The judicial system is complicated, and there is a lot of complicated law that governs criminal accusations. If you don’t hire a lawyer, you can miss out on many strong defenses, forcing you to enter a guilty plea to charges that, with the help of an experienced attorney, could have been dropped or reduced.
An attorney will be knowledgeable with how to take blood and breath samples and how to analyze them. If such rules are broken, the charges may be fully dropped. An attorney could submit a request to have your case dismissed if you were stopped or arrested by the police while they were violating your rights. Most people are not aware of these rules or laws, nor do they know that they can ask to have their case dismissed.
Beyond the law, scientific evidence from chemical tests that show your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at the moment of your arrest is used in DUI prosecutions. DUI lawyers have a deep understanding of how the body processes alcohol and how these tests work, despite the fact that the majority of lawyers are not scientists. They’ll most likely be connected to a network of experts, such forensic toxicologists, who can attest in your favor that you weren’t driving while intoxicated.
Your record will reflect a DUI conviction for the rest of your life. There could be severe repercussions, such as license suspension, harsh fines, mandatory DUI school, probation, or even jail time. If you have been detained for a DUI, you cannot afford to delay in speaking with a DUI attorney. The stakes are too high, and terrible things could happen. If you want to meet with an accomplished lawyer for a legal consultation, call Simmons Wagner, LLP at (949) 439-5857 for a legal consutlation.