Whenever faced with a DUI charge, especially the first-time offence, it would be usual for any person to ask, “Do I need a lawyer here?” While the answer is ‘No’ in most countries, there are several instances why it is best that you go on to hire an experienced DUI defence lawyer.
1. Get a lawyer’s opinion on your case
Whenever charged with DUI, it is important to embark at weighing the strengths and the weakness that appertain to your case. This will keep you in a better position. Moreover, you may want to get an attorney’s broad and informed conclusion about your case. This is because you might have missed powerful points that may be supportive in your case.
2. You need an attorney to go to trial
Although you are permitted to stand for yourself in a DUI trial for the first time in many countries, it is highly discouraged. This is because the learning curve for the trial practice is abrupt and requires experience. Your chances of winning the case will be considerably higher when you get a lawyer.
3. It is in your interest to have good legal representation
Often on many cases, whenever persons are charged with DUI, they feel guilty. They know that they were drinking and driving. Hence, it would be almost fruitless to fight it. They may feel that the officers are experienced and assume that they have followed the correct procedure and that the case against the state is open-and-shut against them.
Nonetheless, it is in the persons’ best interest to have good representation. This is because an experienced attorney can obtain police reports and related documents that may be useful in evaluating the case to your favour, moments before the proceeding.
4. If you are not sure, hire a DUI Lawyer
If you intend to plead guilty, but you are not certain of the move, it is wise to sign up for a public defender if you can afford it, or go for an attorney to stand for you onwards. While this may be costly, you will get a lot from the representation and a reduction in charge in most occurrences.
5. A lawyer may assist in getting you get a shorter sentence
Even if there are no usable defenses, an attorney may do a lot to assist his or her client in achieving the shortest and most lenient sentence possible. Through pointing out positive aspects of the client or the case itself, the lawyer may convince the prosecutor to do away with the cases or charge to a lesser charge. This is because most experienced attorneys are familiar with the procedural steps that the prosecutor takes and hence, know how to redirect the case to your advantage.