After You’re Going To Court For DUI An Experienced Fort Lauderdale DUI Lawyer Is Important To Your Case
Friday, January 27th, 2012When a night of partying in South Florida concludes in an arrest for driving under the influence, lots of people question when they really require a Ft Lauderdale DUI lawyer to help them navigate the legal system. If its assessed that you are impaired and you get taken to jail you will surely be both shocked and very troubled. The penalties resulting from a conviction for DUI at sentencing are typically significant and can include considerable fines and costs, loss of driving priviliges, probation and sometimes even incarceration. The best thing to do in this state of affairs is to acquire the services of a good attorney who can protect your rights in your DUI case.
Oftentimes a person arrested for drunk driving is not what most would regard as a criminal, and will have a criminal record that is free of prior bad acts. If your sobriety is in question, the police will ask you to take part in numerous sobriety field tests to determine if you are intoxicated or not.
Refusal of a breath test is a choice you can make, but that also translates to guilt and will also result in an immediate arrest. If for some reason the breath test isn’t functioning, a blood test is a different option. If law enforcement determines that your blood alcohol content is over the legal limit (0.08% in Florida), you will be arrested and likely taken to jail.
In a big metro area like South Florida, you can anticipate seeing the judge within 24-48 hours of your time of arrest. Since jail is not a desirable place to be, it would be recommended to use the services of a bail bondsman to be released while your court case progresses. While bond levels for first offenses are fairly low, they can be extremely high or even denied altogether if you have previous offenses, if you caused an accident while driving, or if you have a criminal record.
There are intricate details about the law concerning drunk driving cases, and this makes it imperative to hire proficient representation. Shockingly, you don’t even need to be driving to be arrested- if you are in a position where you would be likely and able to operate your vehicle (such as behind the wheel of a parked car), you will be arrested.
In most states, a history of previous DUI arrests will increase the charges and probable sentencing in your case. A person who continually drives under the influence is viewed as a menace to society and the punishment often displays that.
If you want to avoid harsh sentencing and impending jail time, a reputable DUI attorney can make a considerable difference in your court case. An honest defense lawyer will provide their client a realistic outlook on how their case will resolve. Your law firm can make use of interactions with judges and prosecutors to negotiate for you. At times the evidence is solid and charges will not be dismissed, and when this occurs the ability to generate a great offer for the client becomes essential. It is critical to have legal representation, because without a lawyer defending you in court you will likely be convicted.
If you have a criminal defense attorney in your case you won’t be alone and they will take representing you very seriously. It will be significant to go with a criminal defense attorney who has considerable experience with DUI cases when you get arrested for driving while intoxicated in the Fort Lauderdale area. Hopefully, after one arrest, you won’t ever drive drunk again and never find yourself needing criminal defense lawyer Fort Lauderdale to defend your rights in a criminal court either.