You have just been arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of alcohol or Drugs in the California Bay Area, and you have never been in trouble before. There is no doubt about it you have just been released from a horrible experience of being put in jail, and you are scared and wondering what will happen to you. You ask yourself, if this is only my first DUI offense, why should I hire a lawyer?
The list could go on for days, but here are some good reasons:
1. You don’t know the law
2. You don’t go to court on regular basis, so you don’t know the Judges in the courts and the Deputy District Attorneys and their personal feelings and how to address each person for the best results.
3. The police have already taken advantage of this fact while having you answer questions and do field sobriety tests (FSTs) in the street; which you didn’t have to do in California, and now you want to represent yourself in court before an experienced Deputy District Attorney (DDA) that gets graded on convictions; not really a good idea is it?
4. You are emotionally involved in your case, as I would be if it were me, and therefore, your objectivity is clouded. You may be willing to take any deal offered, or what seems like a good deal, because you don’t know what a good deal is, and you just want this to go away. Without all of the evidence, this is a big mistake. You need, the police report, radio dispatch logs, logs on the breath testing equipment both for the street and at the station, or blood. Those need to be subpoenaed with specific requests for what the lawyer is looking for to protect you and get you the best possible resolution in your case. If you don’t know what it is that you are looking for, how can you obtain it? And if you did get the proper information, without training and experience, how would you be able to evaluate it? You cannot, and that is why you need an experienced DUI lawyer.
The legal process is confusing, so you need an experienced DUI lawyer to not only work through the criminal process to keep you out of jail, but handle your DMV hearing to try and save your driving privilege. This is a long process which is why we take the time to explain this process to you as I understand your anxiety of not wanting to return to jail, lose your job, and keep your driving privilege.
Yes, it is your first DUI, but that is the time to fight when the penalties will be the smallest of any DUI charge should you lose. Your case may be dismissed, reduced or even go to trial, but you need all of this information to protect you, and a good DUI lawyer knows what to look for and how to get it for your case; remember, all lawyers are not equal.
You are probably asking yourself, what will happen to me? That will depend on your particular circumstances of your stop, information that you gave to the officer, the test you took, how the tests were administered, and the maintenance of the machines used for your test. I don't know what the exact facts are in your case, but I can tell you that in almost two (2) decades of defending people with DUI charges in San Francisco, Oakland, Pleasanton, Richmond, Fremont, San Jose, Walnut Creek, Hayward, and the other cities of the Bay Area, I have never had a client go to jail on a first time DUI. Many of the cases that I have handled have been reduced in charge and penalty. Some have been dismissed, and others have gone to trial with acquittals. There is a list of general penalties, but remember, in every case, there is a human factor, and that makes the difference. In addition to everything above, I have also saved the driving privilege at the DMV hearing for many of my clients. Call me now for a FREE Consultation at: (510) 346-6666 or Toll Free 1(800) 690-4DUI) When you call I will contact the DMV for you at NO CHARGE to make sure that you do not go pass the ten (10) day time limit you have to request the hearing.