This morning, a fellow attorney called me to ask questions about his friend’s DUI case. I routinely receive calls like this. It makes me proud knowing that others within the legal community perceive me as an authoritative figure with regard to DUI and criminal defense. While I am more than happy to answer as many questions as my colleagues have, it is important that a person who has been charged with DUI understand that just because someone is a lawyer, it doesn’t necessarily mean they understand the complexities of DUI representation.
All too often, I receive calls from fellow attorneys who don’t handle DUI cases on a routine basis, but decided to help their friend or family member. First and foremost, if you are trying to save money by not hiring a lawyer who focuses on DUI cases, you are throwing your money away.
DUI cases are not easy. I can’t seem to understand why general practice attorneys and the public at large believe they are. If it were as simple as whether someone was over a .08, I would be out of a job. Fortunately, my clients understand that what I do do is a craft, a craft that I have spent thousands of hours honing. Because of my experience, I have been hand selected to represent doctors, white-collar professionals, celebrities and professional athletes. Clients and people within the community know that when their neck is on the line for a DUI, they need to hire a lawyer who has the training to get them out of their situation.
They Chose not to Hire a Lawyer and Have a Suspended License
Going back to my colleague, his friend decided to not hire a lawyer. He tried handling his case himself and has now found himself in a worse situation. Not only will a trained DUI lawyer assist with the legal aspect of your case, they will be able to navigate the waters with regard to the MVD consequences. There are so many parts surrounding DUIs. If one issue is not done properly, it could affect another aspect, leading to more serious issues. With respect to my colleague’s friend, he finalized the court aspect of his DUI. By pleading guilty to an extreme DUI. Without having looked at his police report, investigating his case and analyzing his toxicology, I can’t say whether he had issues in his case worth fighting. What I can say, however, is his lack of knowledge resulted in a significant driver’s license consequence. He didn’t know that he had to provide proof to the MVD of an ignition interlock installation. He was under the impression that the ignition interlock company would notify the MVD for him. This is COMPLETELY FALSE. Because he failed to notify the MVD, he now has a suspended driver’s license and has to have an ignition interlock installed for an additional 12 months. In spite of having receipts, the MVD will not give him credit for the 12 months he had the ignition interlock on his vehicle.
Be Smart, Hire a DUI Lawyer
Don’t make the same mistake my colleague’s friend made. We make DUI representation affordable by offering payment plans. Think of it this way, hiring our office is an investment in your future. We are very good at what we do. We get DUI’s reduced and dismissed on a regular basis. Hiring us to fight your DUI could mean saving your career, which in turn would save you thousands of dollars over your lifetime.
