Because of massive enforcement efforts on the part of all police agencies throughout the state, DUIs are among the most common offenses found in the criminal justice system. The penalties, even for a first offense, are quite substantial.
If you've been arrested, it's important to contact the DMV within ten calendar days of the violation so as to "stay" any suspension of your driving privilege. If you miss the deadline it's very unlikely they'll make an exception unless there are extraordinary reasons why you missed it.
In the event you can afford an attorney, I would recommend you find someone that handles DUIs on a regular basis. The fees can vary widely depending upon experience. There are "specialists" that handle only "drunk driving" cases, however they often are extraordinarily expensive and may not be worthwhile in the event you have no intention of going to jury trial.
On the other hand, there are lawyers who have virtually no knowledge or experience with DUIs who charge a meager fee and appear in court clueless as to what to do. I would recommend you ask the particular attorney how often and for how long he/she has handled such matters before considering retaining them.
The fact is that there's a wide variation in how much an attorney will charge for a DUI case. I would recommend against hiring any attorney based upon the lowest fee. In my experience one gets what one pays for. Keep in mind not all attorneys have equal skill, knowledge and experience.
I've handled literally thousands of DUIs for over the past 25 years. Please contact my office now if you've been arrested for a DUI.
Even if hiring a DUI lawyer is not cheap that's the only way you can reduce your penalties if you have to face DUI accusations.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend that was accused of impaired driving Toronto and hiring a lawyer was the only way to reduce his penalties...no one says it's OK to drive drunk but maybe it's your first time and maybe after drinking a beer or two you had an emergency that required driving a car.....A lawyer will know exactly what to say in front of a judge and get you out of a messy situation.