A LAWYER THAT WALKS WITH YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS

The most common question I hear when talking to a client who has been arrested for drunk driving is “will I lose my driver’s license?” A suspended license affects all aspects of your life, from your ability to work to taking your kids to school. Relevant considerations for the initial determination of a suspension will be your history (do you have a prior DUI or were you driving while suspended) and the results of your blood alcohol content (BAC) test.

However, there are timely steps that can be taken to help preserve your driving ability, including the request of an Administrative Hearing. At the Administrative Hearing, a DUI lawyer with my experience will be able to identify and exploit any mistakes that may have been made by arresting officers with the goal of preventing the immediate suspension of your license. However, your DUI lawyer will only have 14 days from the date of your arrest to request the hearing, and if a hearing is not requested in that 14 day period, you waive your right to challenge any license suspension. It is essential to hire a DUI lawyer as soon as possible after your arrest to preserve your strategic options.

The next question I typically hear is “will I go to jail?” Many of my clients are victims of a system that is looking for drunk driving convictions. From the moment an officer first approaches your car window, they are looking to build a case against you, even if you’ve only had one beer while catching a Royals game with friends. We will examine the audio and video of your arrest, from the validity of the initial police stop through ensuring proper calibration of the breathalyzer at the police station. Based on our review, we will discuss a variety of options.

The first option we will discuss is taking your case to trial. The burden of proof falls on the state to show that beyond a reasonable doubt, you were driving over the legal limit of .08 and as a result, your driving was unsafe. There are many avenues an experienced attorney can pursue to prevent a prosecutor from meeting that burden. We will work together to discuss the potential risks and benefits of going to trial, based on the specific facts associated with your case.

If you decide that a trial is not the best avenue for your case, we will be working with the prosecutor to negotiate a plea deal on your charge. The results will vary depending on many factors, including whether or not this is your first DUI charge, with possible results ranging from diversion to jail time. Call me to schedule a free consultation so that we can discuss potential results more specific to the facts of your case.