Fighting a DUI Charge
Driving while intoxicated is a severe crime that should be taken seriously. If you are facing DUI charges at the moment, you should act quickly and hire a qualified lawyer. Bruckheim & Patel is an aggressive DC DUI attorney that has years of experience in drunk driving defense. Hiring an attorney is necessary to make the right steps and decision towards a positive outcome of the case. Most drivers charged for operating a vehicle while intoxicated wonder whether or not they should plead guilty. Depending on the circumstances of your case, your lawyer will decide what is best for you.
Keep in mind that you should hire a reliable and trustworthy attorney. In case you decide to represent yourself, it can have an adverse impact on the outcome of your situation. Don't risk facing severe penalties just because you wanted to save some money by representing yourself. DUI offense can have a long-lasting impact on your life, and you can avoid it if you have the right legal expert by your side.
Keep in mind that you should hire a reliable and trustworthy attorney. In case you decide to represent yourself, it can have an adverse impact on the outcome of your situation. Don't risk facing severe penalties just because you wanted to save some money by representing yourself. DUI offense can have a long-lasting impact on your life, and you can avoid it if you have the right legal expert by your side.
Pleading Guilty
If you decide to plead guilty for drunk driving, you will definitely cut down on time and get the case closed sooner. However, you will certainly face penalties for your criminal act that may have severe long-term consequences on every aspect of your life. Most common DUI penalties drivers face include hefty fines, probation, driver’s license suspension, revocation of professional license, community service, rehabilitation, and jail time.
Depending on the evidence gathered against you, it may be better to plead guilty. If you and your attorney think there is no way to have your charges dropped, it is better to admit guilt and at least get your charges slightly reduced. Reduced charges will also have reduced penalties. As soon as you are arrested and before reaching trial, your attorney should try negotiating a plea deal. By taking a plea deal you will eliminate jail time and avoid the maximum charges for your crime. You should prepare yourself for facing some penalties, because DUI cases rarely get dismissed. Dismissal is possible only for very specific circumstances, such as suffering from certain medical conditions that may affect you’re the results of a chemical test.
If your BAC level was over 0.08% and if you showed obvious signs of drunken behavior, you will receive a guilty conviction. In cases that involve driving under the influence, there is simply no refutable evidence as in other cases. For example, it is very hard to disprove chemical tests results. On the other hand, under specific circumstances, it is possible to disprove field sobriety test results. Apart from these tests, a police officer that pulled you over is also a valuable witness against you. If all the evidence speaks against you, and there is no way to avoid a conviction, it is a better idea to come clean and plead guilty as it is the only way to reduce charges, at least a bit.
Not Guilty Options
As we mentioned, only under very specific circumstances, an individual charged for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol can have a chance for a case dismissal or a not guilty verdict. In some states in the US, if you have been caught drunk, but you weren’t actually operating the vehicle at the moment you were stopped by a police officer, your criminal defense attorney may convince the jury that you were not breaking the law. A successful trial or case dismissal can also occur if the alcohol test was a urine test. Urine tests are not considered very reliable and it is possible to disprove them at court of law, especially if your blood alcohol content was less than 0.11%. No matter what your situation is, you should hire an experienced and aggressive criminal defense lawyer who has the knowledge and resources to fight for your legal rights. The right attorney will do everything in his power to provide a proof of innocence, and help you avoid serious penalties and consequences that can impact the rest of your life. You have the best chances of winning the case if you have the right legal expert by your side.