If you are being charged with DUI, your next course of action is to prepare for the criminal court process.
A conviction for DUI can impact your career, your finances and your entire life. If you want to prevent DUI charges from ruining your life, you need to contact an experienced DUI attorney immediately to begin preparing for your DUI hearing. A DUI defense attorney can help you take the following steps so you have the best chance at obtaining a favorable outcome in your case…
1. Decide What Plea You Want to Enter
At an arraignment, you will formally enter your plea. Your plea will determine the next step in your case. If you plead “guilty” or “no contest,” the next step will be sentencing. If you plead “not guilty,” you will be able to test the evidence and challenge the prosecution.
It is imperative that you discuss this with your DUI defense attorney before deciding on what plea to make. An attorney can review the facts of your case to help you determine the best course of action.
2. Know Why You Were Pulled Over
In order to pull you over on suspicion of DUI, an officer needs to have reasonable suspicion. This usually means the officer witnessed you disobeying traffic laws or you were involved in a car accident.1
If neither of those circumstances occurred, law enforcement may not have had reasonable suspicion to pull you over.
3. Write Down the Events of Your Case
Your recollection of the events of your case is key. In addition to the moments leading up to when an officer pulled you over, you need to remember what the officer said and did after pulling you over. Writing down these events while they are fresh in your mind will ensure you do not forget any details and will help expose any police misconduct.
4. Have Documents and Other Evidence Prepared For Your Defense
The prosecution will be prepared with a written report from the arresting officer, the results of your blood sample and/or Breathalyzer tests, and all other evidence.2
You need to work with your defense attorney to obtain the necessary documents and evidence. If there were any passengers in your vehicle, they can provide testimony. If you have medical issues that could have affected the results of your blood-alcohol test or how you performed on field sobriety tests, you will need to provide documentation to your attorney.
A knowledgeable attorney will help you determine what documents you will need to provide in order to obtain the best possible result in your case.
5. Be Emotionally and Financially Prepared for the Outcome
No matter what happens in your case, you should be prepared to handle the consequences of a DUI conviction. A first-time DUI conviction is punishable by up to six months in county jail and fines of up to $1,000. The DMV will also suspend your driver’s license for up to six months.3
The financial costs of a DUI will impact the rest of your life. Including state and local fines, penalties, restitution and increased insurance rates, a first-time DUI conviction is estimated to cost about $16,000.4
Call the DUI Defense Attorneys at Wallin & Klarich Today
If you are being accused of driving under the influence, it is in your best interest to contact an experienced DUI attorney as soon as possible. Your skilled and knowledgeable attorney can help you prepare for your DUI case so that you can achieve the best possible outcome. At Wallin & Klarich, our team of skilled attorneys has been successfully defending our clients against DUI charges for over 30 years.
Our offices are located in Orange County, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Torrance, Riverside, West Covina, Victorville, Ventura, San Diego and Sherman Oaks, so that our experienced attorneys are available to you no matter where you work or live.
Call us at (877) 4-NO-JAIL or (877) 466-5245 to discuss your case. We will get through this together.
