What To Do If You're Ever Charged With Driving Under The Influence

Being criminally charged with driving under the influence (DUI) is very serious business indeed. The penalties for this kind of charge can be life-changing, with everything from fines to actual jail time being on the table. It's a pretty scary charge and you definitely want to minimize your chances of receiving the conviction. If you've already been charged with a DUI or if it ever happens to you in the future the tips below will help you understand what you need to do.

Contact A DUI Attorney Right Away

The very first thing you need to do after receiving a DUI charge is get in touch with an attorney or law firm like Law Office Of  Lori Crystal, LLC. A DUI lawyer will have the knowledge under their belt that can help you avoid a conviction and possibly have the entire case thrown out of the court.

DUI attorneys use many different techniques to help you fight the charges. There may be other cases that they've worked on in the past that are very similar to yours. If they combine that precedent with the unique factors of your own case they just might be able to create a convincing argument that is sound enough to get the judge to lower the charges to something that won't have such a detrimental effect on your driving and criminal records.

Also, there is a chance that the field sobriety test you took wasn't even legal. There's no reason for you to be convicted if the test wasn't done according to the mandated guidelines. If your attorney can prove that the test shouldn't stick it could be enough to overturn the charges.

Find A Good Character Witness

You should also start thinking about the people that you know and deciding which ones would be able to be an effective character witness. A character witness does just what the name implies. They should have a high opinion of you and hold a respectable position in the community themselves. If they are able to testify to the goodness of your character and convince the judge that you may have just had a bad day, but it definitely isn't your norm their word can make a big difference in the final outcome.

Try not to imagine negative outcomes and remain positive as you approach your day in court. Expect the best and use these tips so you can get a result that helps you breathe easy once again.