Being arrested for driving under the influence is not something anyone wants to experience. However, it doesn’t have to be the end of the world.
If you have been arrested and charged with a DUI, don’t despair. A qualified DUI lawyer can help minimize the effect this mistake has on your life — and your future.
How A DUI Lawyer Can Help You
First of all, you need to understand that you aren’t alone. Some 1,500,000 people are arrested in the United States each year for driving under the influence.
We understand that you’re not proud of having driven drunk, but many people make this mistake once in their lifetime. Be thankful that your lack of judgment did not result in anyone’s injury or death. The situation could be much worse.
The most important thing you can learn from this experience is, obviously, to never do it again. With the help of a DUI lawyer, you can learn this lesson without being punished unduly.
1. A DUI Lawyer Knows the System
You’re not going to deny that you were driving under the influence, but there may have been issues surrounding your arrest that can affect your sentence.
Truth be told, there are a lot of legal loopholes that can actually benefit people who are basically good, but who have made a mistake — like driving under the influence.
Mistakes, flaws, or inconsistencies in the paperwork that your arresting officer files can actually work to your benefit.
A qualified and experienced DUI lawyer will be able to ascertain whether or not your arrest was on the up and up, and if not, he or she will be able to use the arresting officer’s mistakes to help you in your case.
Sometimes people are wrong in their judgment of others. If this is true of the arresting officers in your case, then having an attorney on your side will be helpful.
2. Your Attorney Might Know the Officer
It’s unfortunate, but some officers of the law do not uphold the law as much as others do. Your DUI attorney will likely be acquainted with the officers in your jurisdiction.
He or she will know if the officer who arrested you is one who goes by the books or one who might simply be arresting people to fill his quota. This could be a crucial factor in your case.
He or she will know if the officer who arrested you is one who goes by the book ors one who might simply be arresting people to fill his quota. This could be a crucial factor in your case.
3. A DUI Attorney Will Look at Your Past
Is this your first offense? If so, you’re in luck. Your attorney will be able to argue on your behalf. After all, your having driven while intoxicated was likely a one-time mistake — and one that you’ll never repeat!
Your lawyer will use your lack of a criminal record to negotiate a lighter sentence. He or she can speak with the judge and use your clean history to show that you won’t make this mistake again.
It may help if you have people who can attest to your clean past, in the event that your case goes to trial. Character witnesses are helpful in determining that an individual has simply made a poor decision.
If your boss, coworkers, or college professors can testify on your behalf, you could have a solid shot at getting off fairly easy.
Judges tend to go easy on first offenders. After all, everyone makes mistakes.
4. If You Do Have a Record
On the other hand, this might not be your first offense. If you have other arrests or incarcerations on your record, facing a DUI charge can be pretty scary.
That’s why it’s especially important to secure the services of a DUI lawyer.
If you already have a record, you’re probably in for some sort of punishment. But your lawyer will use all the resources at her disposal to minimize that punishment.
Perhaps the arresting officer saw your criminal record when they ran your driver’s license through the system. In that case, they may well have decided that you were guilty, no matter what the situation at hand.
As we stated earlier, everyone makes mistakes. Some people make the same mistake twice before learning their lesson. If that is the case for you, then it can be helpful to have a DUI lawyer on your side, to help argue your side.
5. Your Attorney Can Be a Friend
If you’ve been arrested for a DUI, you might feel all alone. Your friends could be angry at you, your family might not want to talk to you, and it may feel as though you are friendless.
Make no mistake, being arrested is a difficult emotional experience. This is one of the most stressful things you can go through, in fact. In the aftermath, you may want reassurance that you are not a terrible person.
A DUI attorney can reassure you that you’re not alone and that you’re not a bad person. This one action does not have to define you for the rest of your life.
It can be difficult to live a “normal” life following a drunk driving arrest. You might face troubles trying to rent an apartment, get a good line of credit, or even get a decent job.
These days, most employers will ask whether or not you have a criminal record. Some of them, depending on your industry, will even perform a credit and background check.
Your DUI lawyer can help minimize your sentence and may be able to negotiate other terms that will help you down the line.
If this is your first offense, and depending on the circumstances surrounding your arrest, it may even be possible to have the DUI wiped from your record altogether.
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We are confident, committed, and trusted. We know you’re not a bad person — just a person who has made a mistake and who needs help correcting that mistake.
If you need support during this difficult time, let us help you.