Having a drunk driving defense lawyer can work to help you out of your legal jam as quickly and easily as legally possible.
DUI arrests can be devastating, especially from a financial and legal perspective, so it’s important to have a drunk driving defense lawyer. But exactly how can your attorney help you out of a legal jam?
Keep You Out of Jail
Staying out of jail is a major way in which a drunk driving defense attorney can help you out of your legal jam. Depending on the facts and circumstances, this is not a guarantee. Certain facts and circumstances surrounding your DUI arrest may require mandatory jail time as a part of your criminal sentence.
But in many other situations, if you navigate the legal system in the right way, especially if you have a clean criminal record, you may be able to avoid jail time. At the very least, an attorney may be able to reduce the amount of time you’d have to spend in jail or even prison.
Reduce Lengthy License Suspensions
In most states, a DUI criminal conviction will result in license suspensions as a part of the criminal punishment. However, there is often a lot of discretion the prosecutor can take in the actual criminal punishment imposed. For example, your attorney can negotiate with the prosecutor and request to lower the severity of the charge in certain situations. When this happens, you could face a shortened license suspension period.
Avoid a Criminal Record
In limited DUI situations, you may be able to avoid a permanent criminal record. Some states agree to avoid a permanent criminal conviction if the individual agrees to enter into a special program. In return for completion of the program, the DUI criminal charge gets dropped by the prosecutor. This means no criminal conviction will appear on your criminal record.
Not everyone is eligible to enter these programs; they’re usually only available to those with no prior criminal record or who have a limited criminal history. Additionally, the DUI arrest and charges must not involve serious bodily injury or major property damage.
Avoid Legal Mistakes
After an arrest, especially a DUI arrest, you might think you’ve hit rock bottom, and nothing else could get worse. However, you’d be wrong, especially when it comes to your conduct after the arrest.
If you’ve watched your share of legal dramas on TV and in the movie theater, you already know that after an arrest, you have the right to an attorney and don’t have to talk to the police. But sometimes, it may be in your best interest to speak to the police or give a statement. The problem is, what exactly do you say without saying the wrong thing that can hurt your case?
That’s where your drunk driving defense attorney can come in and help you out. Your attorney will tell you exactly what to say and what not to say, explaining the reason why you must not communicate certain pieces of information or what information you should make sure you explain to the police.
Learn more about hiring a drunk driving defense lawyer by contacting the Wilbanks Law Firm, P.C. online now.