What to do if you have been charged with DUI?
Have you just been charged with a DUI offense or “Driving Under the Influence”? Drunk Driving is considered a serious offense in the United States; however, a lot of eligible drivers are not aware of the facts and consequences of drunk driving. Drunk driving is not only illegal but can lead to serious accidents that can have a longer lasting effect on your life. In almost all the States, driving with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.08% or more puts you at the risk of getting arrested and charged with DUI. You should make sure to not drink and then drive at all costs; if you have to drive back to your home, you should avoid alcohol and if you take alcohol, take a taxi back home or ask a sober friend to drive you. These precautions can actually save you from a lot of trouble. But since drunk driving is a common offense in the States, people often are caught for DUI offense and in such a situation you need to prepare yourself for the worst; that is, you need to hire a DUI attorney, one who practices in your region, one who is experienced in defending DUI cases and one with a fairly good reputation. Especially, if you are facing charges involving strict penalties involving heavy fines, license suspension and jail time, you will mentally and practically require the need of a DUI lawyer who is truly concerned about your interests and you can support and guide you throughout your DUI case. This is the major reason why we suggest you to start looking for a lawyer in your area as soon as you are charged with a DUI. They not only represent you in the court, but they can even emotionally support you through a trying time and give you the advice you need. Most states require you to appeal for a hearing in court within 7 days of the charge.
Typically when a policeman stops your car on the suspicion of drunk driving, he or she will basically ask to see your driver's license and registration. They may ask you if you have been drinking or not and to prove it, they'll ask you to take a field sobriety test that can either require you to recite the alphabet, tip your head back and touch your nose or anything that can prove or disprove your sobriety. This test is voluntary and you can refuse to take this test, in which case, the policeman can ask you to take a chemical test for instance, a breathalyzer. Whatever the policeman asks you to do, it is always a good idea to be polite and co-operative because rudeness or violence can actually act to hurt your DUI case in court. On the other hand, you should also be knowledgeable of your own rights, you can avoid passing a statement at the time of arrest and wait to seek legal counsel which can act on your behalf; your attorney can also guide you on which of the inquiries of the police to respond to and which to not respond to.
Sometimes people make the mistake of not hiring an attorney and deciding to defend themselves; this is not a good idea especially when you do not know much about legal terms, DUI in your county and court proceedings in your area. Some people also shy away from the fee of good attorneys but the fact they do not consider is that you will have to bear larger sums of money over the long run when you do not have an attorney to represent you and when you have to spend time in jail, face license suspension and pay heavy fines. Experienced attorneys know how to interview witnesses, they know how to gather pieces of evidence and most of all they are aware of how DUI cases proceed in courts and are thus able to represent you accordingly. Although, lawyers can do a lot of good for first-time offenders but lawyer representation becomes even more important if you already have a previous DUI offense. The lawyer can, if nothing else, get the severity of your penalties reduced considerably. Also, if your DUI offense is of a serious degree, that is, it either involved having a minor in your car, driving recklessly or evading the police or caused an injury; then too, you should seriously consider hiring a DUI attorney for your defense. Get more help regarding DUI at website MyDUIAttorney.org
