Can a First-Time Offender Handle a DUI Case Without an Attorney?

Fighting a DUI case without an attorney is not advisable. Even if you have friends or relatives telling you that you can handle a case alone – this is not advisable. The cost of an attorney is low when you consider how it directly impacts your life in the future.

Having a DUI on your record, even if you do not go to jail, can leave you without a job, license, or even admission into a college. Even as a first time offender, you need an attorney on your side.

An Attorney Helps You Keep the Right Perspective

Mandatory court appearances are difficult to understand when you are not a professional highly-trained in the American legal system. Facing a DUI is not easy to make your way through because the people against you are experience prosecutors that get practice with this work every single day of their lives.

You cannot assume that a judge will ever be on your side. They are supposed to be impartial and therefore will not see you positively, even if you are a first-time offender. The right perspective is essential to keep when going through your DUI case from start to finish.

An Attorney Talks to the Prosecution for You

Throughout days, months, and years of arguing cases in front of the same judges and against the same prosecution attorneys, a criminal defense attorney is capable of discussing settlements and plea bargains with the prosecution.

A criminal defense attorney helps you consider the effects of your case on your ability to drive, your reputation, your employment, your ability to maintain a license needed for a career, and more.

An Attorney Considers Issues You Have Not

Most importantly, a case may seem open and shut to the average person, but not to an attorney. You might find yourself facing an unnecessary punishment. Some questions a professional always considers include the following:

• Did the officer have probable cause to pull you over?
• Did the officer have reasonable suspicion you were impaired?
• Did the video of the event show any problems in the way law enforcement conducted the traffic stop?
• Was the sobriety test administered properly and promptly?
• Did the office follow the breath test following your sobriety test?
• Did you eat anything prior to the sobriety test?
• Was the machine used also regularly serviced and checked for accuracy according to Florida law?
• Do you suffer from a medical condition that hurts your ability to be a good driver?

Clients are sometimes surprised to learn that key pieces of evidence in their case may be inadmissible in court. Using our background, experience and training, plea bargains can be leveraged with the prosecution.

In short, you need an attorney when you have been arrested for DUI. This applies to you even if you are a first-time offender. The Law Office of Paul J. Donnelly is qualified to be the aggressive and experience Miami criminal defense lawyer you need.

We are proud to serve clients in Miami, FL, and the surrounding areas. To schedule an initial consultation, contact them today online or by phone at (305) 757-3331.