Driving under the influence, often abbreviated as “DUI,” is a serious charge that can leave a nasty stain on your criminal record. If you’re convicted, you can be hit with harsh fines or even jail time, and your car insurance premiums will skyrocket for years to come. To give yourself the best chance of beating these charges, it’s crucial that you work with specialist DUI lawyers who have the know-how and experience to cast reasonable doubt on your guilt.
DUI lawyers draw on proven strategies to help clients fight the allegations against them. The most common defense tactics include attempting to show that the original traffic stop was unjustified or illegal, that the field sobriety test that led to the charges was inaccurate, and that there are inconsistencies in police statements which cast doubt on the arresting officer’s credibility. In order for a police officer to pull you over in the first place, he or she must have a compelling and legally justifiable reason to do so; suspicion that you may be impaired is insufficient if you did not break any driving laws. Many DUI lawyers have successfully argued that field sobriety tests are not even close to 100 percent accurate, and that any evidence collected against the defendant as the result of a field test is therefore inadmissible. Similarly, DUI lawyers can attack any discrepancies and irregularities in the official police statements pertaining to your case to disqualify any evidence they contain.
If you’ve been charged with driving under the influence, contacting a qualified attorney is the first thing you should do. Beating a DUI charge can be difficult, but it’s far from impossible. Working with a lawyer who has a proven track record of success is the best thing you can do to avoid a conviction as well as the fines, license suspensions, skyrocketing insurance premiums and jail time that may come with it.