Once you have been charged with driving under the influence, commonly abbreviated to a DUI, there is a myriad of consequences that you are at risk of facing. These consequences range from having your driving license suspended, paying exorbitant fines, and so on. Moreover, this charge can also have long-term ramifications on your quality of life by losing you employment prospects and increasing your car insurance.
However, the biggest mistake you can make is trying to represent yourself in court, as this will be a gross disservice. A DUI attorney can greatly diminish the effects of your DUI by providing you with a strong defense. Part of this defense will include instructing you to take some measures that can help with receiving leniency from the judge. Below are a few of the strategies that a DUI defense attorney could adopt in an attempt to improve your case.
A DUI defense attorney will instruct you to enroll in a treatment program
Admittedly, simply because you have been charged with driving under the influence does not automatically suggest that you are addicted to alcohol. Nonetheless, the judge does not know you personally. Hence, your DUI attorney will try to present your case in the best light possible, and one of the ways of doing so would be instructing you to enroll in a treatment program that is approved by the court.
The first step in doing this is undergoing drug screening to check for the presence of other substances in your bloodstream. A negative drug test will help with bolstering your defense. Secondly, by completing a treatment program, you are showing the court that you understand the gravity of your charge and are dedicated to ensuring that this issue does not recur, which also works to strengthen your attorney's case.
A DUI defense attorney will deal with pending traffic offences
A common mistake made by some individuals is overlooking traffic tickets under the presumption that they have time to sort them out. The reality of the matter, though, is that if you are charged with a DUI offense and have a slew of traffic violations on your record, this will dramatically tip the case against you. Hence, another measure that your DUI attorney will take to help improve your chances in court will be addressing any pending traffic offenses that are on your record.
While the most common traffic ticket that motorists receive is due to speeding, this is not the only issue that you should be worried about. Other offenses that could damage your DUI case include changing lanes illegally, reckless driving, overlooking stoplights, driving without a license, and more. Overall, do not underestimate any violations. Instead, you should furnish your DUI defense attorney with an accurate record of your previous offenses.
