Getting The Best DUI Defense Attorney

Driving under the influence is considered a serious offense for good reason. It is one of the most fatal, yet totally avoidable traffic hazards out there. Nonetheless, a convicted DUI driver may get a record - for a long time into the future - that is more blemished than he or she may feel is reasonable and getting back as a fully accepted member of society may prove difficult. Getting the best DUI defense attorney available to help you in court thus makes a lot of sense.

One Little But Very Consequential Mistake

You hardly remember that night. You remember getting to the bar with your friends and you remember ordering your favorite drink to start the night off, and then all the rest is like a blurry haze. You especially don't remember why you made the mistake of getting behind the wheel of a car and subsequently getting pulled over for your first DUI. You didn't actually hurt anyone on your short crooked road trip, thank God, but now you're still facing a whole load of trouble.

DUI is defined as:

"The crime of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, including prescription drugs. Complete intoxication is not required; the level of alcohol or drugs in the driver's body must simply be enough to prevent him from thinking clearly or driving safely. State laws specify the levels of blood alcohol content at which a person is presumed to be under the influence. Also called driving while intoxicated (DWI and drunk driving)." (1)

Driving under the influence is of course forbidden for good reason, but having a DUI on your record can cause you a lot of trouble even if you don't physically hurt someone. Among other things, you can lose out on loans, employment opportunities and that one mistake may act as a scarlet letter for a long time, causing others to judge you harshly. Preparing the best DUI defense possible is thus important for many different reasons. Avoiding a conviction should be your top priority, as getting any help you may need for preventing this from ever happening again.

Honesty Is The Best Policy

When you have fund the best DUI defense attorney available to you, sit down with him or her and recount the fateful day as best you can. Go over every detail, don't leave anything out or try to lie or explain yourself to your lawyer. Talk about what you had to drink, or what drugs you took, who you were with, where you were, what time of day or night it was, what the weather was like, what the officer did when he or she pulled you over as well as any other details about that stop that you can remember.

If you were really intoxicated remembering clearly is of course problematic at best, but it's important to really give your DUI attorney as complete a picture as possible. Your DUI attorney will take those details and will go over them with a fine toothed comb, looking for anything that can be used against the state to avoid a conviction. There are many ways your attorney can get you off the hook, or at least get the charge down to a lesser offense, but you must be honest so that the attorney has the right material to work with. Lying and making poor excuses will not stand up in court.

When a top DUI attorney is in high demand (according to Google most Internet searches for this kind of legal assistance is currently performed in Arizona and florida), his or her schedule may be full for a long time. However, many attorney offices have several attorneys working in that same firm. If one is busy, see if there's someone else you can talk to. Attorneys like to associate with other successful attorneys so you can bet that a firm that employs a top DUI attorney will have other lawyers that are equally good at giving you the best possible DUI defense as well.

Sources cited:

1) http://www.nolo.com/definition.cfm/term/2517D5E1-711B-4D8F-A22C3C99BA518C2C