First DUI

What now?

Your first DUI arrest
You never thought it could happen to you, but here you are – accused of a DUI.  Your family and friends try to be supportive, but most of them have never been through this horrible experience.  You have been humiliated, terrified and you have spent time in jail like a common criminal.  This isn’t you.  This isn’t your life.  You made one small error in judgment, and you are now feeling at your lowest point.

Although a first DUI is a misdemeanor in most cases, it is probably one of the scariest events in your life.  Luckily, there is help for you – a good person who made a bad decision to drink and drive.  The attorneys at DUIlawyers.co have worked with many people accused of first-time DUI.  They understand what you are going through, and they know how to help.

According to most state laws in most cases, a first DUI is a misdemeanor, which means that the DUI penalties are slightly less than felony DUI penalties.  However, do not be misled to think that a first DUI is a walk in the park.  It’s simply not true.  A misdemeanor DUI is punished by up to one year in jail, thousands of dollars in fines, mandatory ignition interlock device installation, alcohol classes and more.  Not to mention that a misdemeanor DUI will, in most cases, stay on your record for the rest of your life.  Only a handful of states allow for expungement of DUIs.  This means that once you’ve been convicted or plead guilty to DUI – you’re a convict as far as landlords, employers and loan officers are concerned.

This means that you must speak with a skilled DUI lawyer now to make sure that this DUI arrest doesn’t turn into a DUI conviction.  The lawyers at DUIlawyers.co have years of experience helping folks just like you get through this tough time.  Our attorneys are tough, and they will fight for you!

How will your DUI case play out?
In our justice system, the prosecution bears the burden of proof.  Therefore, in order to convict you, the prosecutor must convince the finder of fact (a judge or a jury) that you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. So how does the prosecution go about its business of trying to prove that you’re guilty?  The prosecutor will look to four things:  driving pattern, physical appearance, field sobriety test performance, and chemical test (breath test or blood test) results.

If one of these four prongs of your case can’t be proven by the prosecution, the case will fall apart.  This is where an experienced DUI lawyer can really prove his/her worth.  A DUI lawyer who has defended many DUI cases can take apart the state’s evidence and destroy the case. Your DUI attorney may take the state’s evidence and turn it on its head.  A skilled DUI defense lawyer will point out the ways in which you completed certain aspects correctly – a driving pattern is consistent with sobriety, a physical appearance that was consistent with something other than alcohol intake, a “passing” field sobriety test performance or an error with the chemical test – and may successfully rebut certain aspects of the prosecution’s case.

If you do nothing else today, contact a DUI lawyer.  It will be the best thing you can do to stand up for your rights.  Don’t delay!  Contact a skilled DUI lawyer immediately.

Need additional help?  Don’t forget to check out our DUI resources page for more information about DUIs.