If you are in a tricky situation with the law, you can easily get confused. After all, not every person is a law expert. You should note that there are several regulations, rules, and stipulations of the law, making it hard for an average person to know them.
And, if you are arrested for drinking under the influence (DUI), it’s crucial to know your rights and what you need to do next. This is the reason why you have to get a CT DUI lawyer to help you. A reputable attorney can offer a wide range of benefits that can help you with your case. This post discusses why you should get a DUI lawyer.
Hiring a DUI lawyer
Some people can decide not to have a lawyer to handle their DUI case, but there are many situations in which you can benefit by having an attorney. A DUI lawyer can give you an unbiased opinion. After reviewing your case’s information and its strengths and weaknesses, an attorney can provide their legal opinion about the case. The good thing is that an attorney can have objective opinions about your case and can give a new perspective. Therefore, you need to contact a lawyer in your area to know if they offer legal representation in DUI cases.
In some cases, there is a chance that there is enough evidence that can be utilized against you, so your only option is to plead guilty. You need to have a DUI attorney to represent you so that they can present a defense that may reduce the outcome.
Many factors can increase your chances of being convicted. This includes high blood alcohol content. For example, if your blood alcohol content level is more than 0.08, you can be convicted when you go to trial. Most states usually give a stiff punishment for blood alcohol content levels that are beyond the statutory level. Also, if there is proof of drunkenness, you can be convicted. A police officer can testify that your driving had some signs of drunkenness. In most cases, a chemical or field sobriety test can support this testimony.
Even if you decide to plead guilty, you can still benefit from your DUI attorney. A plea bargain can be one of the options when your blood alcohol content level is just slightly above the legal limit. Prosecutors can be ready to charge you with a lesser offense than drinking under the influence in such a case. Also, a plea bargain can happen if the prosecution believes that the DUI case is weak or the events fail to warrant a trial.
A prosecutor can reduce your DUI offense to reckless driving which is usually a misdemeanor. And, most states tend to have common reckless driving charges while others have what is called wet reckless driving. In wet reckless driving, the records can show that alcohol was involved in your car accident. With this conviction, you cannot face jail time or even have your license suspended. But if you are charged with drinking under the influence in the future, they can count the wet reckless driving as a prior drinking under the influence conviction. Therefore, you need to get an attorney to assist to negotiate a plea bargain that may work to your advantage.
As explained earlier, a DUI attorney can also help you by having your sentence reduced. They can do this so that you can take a guilty plea. As a result, you can get a shorter sentence than what you would have got without a plea bargain.
In most DUI cases, judges offer the same sentence to different cases rather than completing a separate analysis with each case. Therefore, a plea bargain can assist you to get a different judgment rather than the norm.
In most DUI cases, the cases are usually not straightforward as you may believe. Some factors can affect the outcome of chemical tests or field sobriety tests. Take note that a field sobriety test can be affected by a wide range of factors. For instance, a balancing test can lead to a negative outcome because you may have inner ear issues or footwear. Also, repeating letters or words can be due to literacy problems or even problems with the English language instead of alcohol intake.
And, chemical tests can give false positive results when the reading was wrong because of a breathalyzer machine which was faulty or a police officer’s lack of knowledge of how to use the machine. The machine can also not have been correctly calibrated. This is why you need a dui attorney to take the case to trial so that the case can be dismissed.
The best time to have a DUI lawyer
If you are not sure what you need to do when it comes to your DUI case, then it’s a good idea to get a DUI attorney. You should remember that some cases may force you to plead guilty, though you cannot be sure if it’s the right decision. Therefore, you have to contact an experienced DUI lawyer so that they can assist you to make the right decision.
A reputable DUI lawyer can assist to reduce your DUI charges to reckless driving. You should note that a DUI can stay on your records forever, but a reckless driving charge can go away. Reckless driving charges can still attract an expensive ticket fee, but you cannot have a drink under the influence hanging over your head, damaging your record.
If they charged you with drinking under the influence before, then you have to get the services of a DUI lawyer. When you are charged with something before, the judge and prosecuting attorney can give you a severe punishment and fine. You need the help of an experienced lawyer so that they can help to reduce your charges and sentence. In some states, DUI laws require the judges to give an enhanced punishment after you have a second or even third DUI charge. Even if you know that you are guilty, a reputable DUI defense lawyer can assist you negotiate for a less severe sentence.
