How Important is your Choice of a DUI Attorney?

You want to choose the right DUI defense law firm if you have been arrested for drunken driving, or driving under the influence of drugs. What makes a better choice of lawyer compared with another? In these kinds of cases, it can boil down to knowledge of the law, and the ability to negotiate.

Negotiation skills are critical in any criminal defense lawyer, and in DUI cases even more so. Quite often, the most available defense strategy is to attempt to argue down the charges to something with a lesser penalty, such as reckless driving. Or, to argue against the harshest jail sentences for drunken driving, by offering alternative penalties such as participation in an alcohol treatment program, or home confinement. Because many states require a person convicted of drunken driving to lose their license, an attorney hired to defend someone could be involved in negotiating for a shorter suspension; for the right to drive to a place of employment and back to home; or other alternatives to a complete suspension of driving privileges. As you can see, there is a LOT of negotiating to be done when someone has been found guilty of DUI. A lawyer who can assertively negotiate is an important choice in these circumstances.

Knowledge and experience in the laws governing DUI is another critical factor in choosing an attorney to defend a drunken driving suspect. In particular, the lawyer needs to know and understand the intricacies of the roadside sobriety tests that are administered. This can be the route to getting the charges thrown out or reduced. The breathalyzer and other tests administered by police at the side of the road are not perfect, and they require an immediate judgment call by the arresting officer. An attorney with knowledge of the equipment used and the factors that can affect a BAC reading can call the evidence into question before a judge, or before the case ever gets before a judge, persuading prosecutors to drop the charges or drop the severity of them.

Some people may have a general practice lawyer they have used in the past for a family matter or such, and it may be their inclination to go with them when they need a DUI defense law firm. DUI is a crime, and a knowledgeable criminal lawyer could be an important choice to make, because there is so much riding on the outcome.