WHY SEEK LEGAL COUNSEL?
DUI attorneys provide enormous benefit in any DUI case, i.e. familiarity with the court system, knowledge of plea bargain details, and a well-versed ability to navigate complex administrative procedures.
GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY
Even if you are convinced you should plead guilty, it is always possible that a DUI attorney may offer advice or counsel that could affect the severity of your sentence. Specifically, if your BAC was between .08 and .11 (and there may be some question as to whether the reading was accurate) conviction is less certain and a DUI attorney may be able to better bargain your case.
BARGAINING FOR A BETTER SENTENCE
In addition to plea bargaining (where the charge is reduced to a lesser, i.e. DUI to reckless driving), most states have sentence bargaining. Sentence bargaining is extremely useful where a guilty plea might result in a long period of incarceration. For example, you may be willing to plead guilty to a second DUI but only if you know what your sentence will be. The same is true for aggravated DUI cases where your BAC is over .15, or injury or death has resulted. In these types of cases you probably wouldn’t want to plead guilty unless you knew what sentence was likely to be imposed, and you would be well advised to have an attorney.
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
Find a DUI attorney that specializes in the DUI/DWI laws in your state. Remember that an attorney that specializes in DUI / DWI cases knows the court system and how to best represent your specific case in a court of law. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the process, the costs and the likely outcome of your case.