However, hiring a private dui lawyer (assuming you can afford one) may be well worth it. Of course, when you hire a lawyer, you can decide. Of course, when you are hiring a lawyer, you can decide who that lawyer will be. Lawyers who specialize in DUI cases often have an in-depth knowledge of DUI law and defenses that other lawyers do not have.
In some cases, this experience can lead to perhaps a more satisfactory outcome, a better plea bargain or dismissal of the charges altogether. After a first DUI arrest, some drivers make the mistake of assuming that they do not need an attorney for a first DUI charge. While fighting a DUI on your own is a driver's constitutional right, getting a lawyer will be much more likely to get the charges dropped or a case dismissed than trying to fight the DUI charges on your own. Some people may also wait too long on the defense asking can you get out of a DUI with a public defender or is it worth it to get a DUI lawyer? DUI is a serious offense that can affect your future and employment.
Most attorneys will tell you that you need to hire an attorney who focuses on drunk driving defense. Attorneys promise that they may be able to save your driving licence or get your drunk driving charge reduced or dismissed. The key is the word may. The money you spend on your lawyer will probably be worth it.
He or she can help reduce your charges, which will ultimately help reduce the fines associated with the charges. If your lawyer gets your charges reduced, that is less money you will pay for the actual crime. In other words, you will most likely spend that money anyway through the fines. The difference is that when you funnel these funds through your lawyer, he or she is working to help preserve your reputation, your record and as many of your freedoms as possible.
Your attorney will be fighting to keep you out of jail and working to help you keep your license and reduce insurance increases. Is satisfaction ever really assured? In the legal world, the definite answer is no. But our survey showed that people facing DUI charges with private attorneys were twice as satisfied with the outcome as people without lawyers, and three times as satisfied as those who used public defenders. However, for the reasons noted above, readers should be cautious about interpreting satisfaction rates as an indication that it is better to go it alone than with the public defender.
Although a person is entitled to represent themselves in court to fight a DUI offense without an attorney, it is highly recommended that they hire a criminal defense attorney who regularly handles drunk and drugged driving cases. These numbers also highlight the potential benefit of successfully negotiating a negligent driving charge in lieu of a DUI. If you registered 0.08 or above, there is little doubt that you will be convicted and will have to pay all fines, fees and additional expenses involved with having a DUI conviction on your driving record. One of the first questions that arises for someone facing a DUI (or DWI or OWI) is what to do about legal representation.
Notably, 22 e people who hired private attorneys were able to negotiate for misdemeanor, non-DUI offenses. The increased cost of insurance for people without lawyers may be due, at least in part, to the fact that more of them were convicted of some type of DUI. The information provided on this site is not legal advice, does not constitute an attorney referral service, and no attorney-client or confidential relationship is or should be formed by use of the site. Since the ignition interlock device and court fines are mandatory consequences for a first DUI today, the use of an attorney can reduce the charges to something more with less court costs and penalties.
The cost of hiring a DUI attorney could be substantially less than what you will pay in fines and penalties in the long run if you try to go it alone. Even if you plan to plead guilty later without an attorney, experienced DUI attorneys recommend the course of action at this first "arraignment hearing is to plead not guilty to the DUI charge. Given the seriousness of the offense and the complexity of fighting DUI charges today, a person will have to get an attorney for any realistic chance of getting it dismissed in court. So how can a lawyer help with a DUI? For example, after a significant automobile accident, a driver can commonly exhibit many of the same symptoms that they might if they were impaired or intoxicated.
Certified by the California DUI Lawyers Association as one of San Diego's few DUI specialists, Rick has successfully defended drunk driving cases since 1983.
