These days it is not uncommon for our office to encounter clients who are facing DUI’s. With tougher laws and tougher penalties for DUI offenses, it is more important than ever to seriously consider hiring an attorney to assist in the handling of this charge. DUI convictions carry serious consequences as they can affect your privilege to drive temporarily, or for life depending on the circumstances. Thus it is important to fully understand the charges, your rights, and the possible consequences.
It is imperative that every DUI charge is carefully and thoroughly investigated. There are usually multiple areas and issues to investigate other than the charge itself. There are procedural, constitutional, statutory issues that must be reviewed to see, for instance, if there was probable cause to make a stop, to detain someone, to request field sobriety exercises, or to submit to a breath or blood test. The breath or blood tests bring up further issues of maintenance and operation of machines involved in these tests, qualifications of the test giver, etc. The services of a private investigator may be necessary to assist in investigating these areas.
With most DUI’s, both an administrative process and the criminal process can be pursued with the assistance of the attorney. The administrative process is separate and is solely for the purpose of attacking the suspension of the driving privilege that occurs as a result of all DUI charges. There will be a separate fee to handle an administrative hearing and/or appeal from any denials or negative rulings resulting from that hearing. The attorney will determine whether the administrative process is in the client’s best interest to pursue. In the criminal case, there may be motions that can be prepared and argued, which will be an additional fee from the fee required to handle the DUI up until trial. A separate trial fee will be required and the amount will depend on the facts and circumstances, the police officers/agencies involved, the complexity of the circumstances, the driving record, number of witnesses, and other similar factors.
Handling a DUI is a charge which you should not handle alone. You need to be made aware of all of your rights, whether all legal requirements as to the procedural, constitutional and statutory issues in your case have been met, and an attorney can help with that information. Don’t go this alone. Let us help.
