Dealing with a DUI, DWI Charge – How Soon You Will Need a Lawyer

After being arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) the individual in question will appear in court before a judge to be arraigned. The DUI arraignment is the first court date every defendant will attend in which they will enter a plea of guilt or not guilty. In every case, it is always recommended sound legal advice to have a DUI lawyer present at this arraignment hearing whenever possible.

In every state, you will have an arraignment hearing within a few days at the county court of your local DUI arrest.

Since this arraignment is a court appearance where the arrested individual is officially charged with either DUI or DWI, having a good defense attorney here will immediately begin the legal fight for the best court outcome to get charges dropped or a case dismissed early on.

At this time of the first DUI arraignment, the defendant will be asked to respond to the charges by stating they are guilty or not guilty also known as entering a plea. Before the first arraignment is usually when a a person would want to retain and meet with a lawyer, since hiring an attorney for DUI for the arraignment in time will often have the best chances at saving a driver’s license from suspension at the first DMV hearing that happens within 30 days after an arrest.

The following is more legal help information on how an individual should deal with a DUI or DWI charge today in 2023 for how and when you should get a lawyer for DUI defense in every state.

When to Retain a Lawyer for a Recent DUI Case

If you have recently been arrested for a DUI or DWI, it is crucial that you act fast to protect your rights and build a strong defense. It is generally a good idea to hire a lawyer as soon as possible after a local DUI or DWI arrest and before the arraignment hearing in county court.

The sooner you have a lawyer on your side, the sooner they can begin working on your case and building a defense.

Since we are top DUI attorney organization of national specialists on this field of law, we understand how overwhelming and stressful the aftermath of a DUI or DWI arrest can be, which is why we offer a free arrest review to anyone who visits our website. By taking advantage of this free review before prior to the DUI arraignment, you can get immediate help from one of our award-winning local DUI attorneys at no cost.

We will carefully review the details of your arrest and advise you on the best course of action to take. Whether you choose to work with us or not, our free arrest review can give you the information and guidance you need to make informed decisions about your case.

Don’t wait until it’s too late to get the expert legal help you need after the arraignment, and take advantage of our free arrest review to get the immediate assistance you deserve. Our trusted attorneys are ready and willing to fight for you every step of the way.

The amount of time between an individual’s arrest and when he or she retains a DUI lawyer is all dependent on his or her personal needs. Some individuals retain a lawyer right after they are arrested to help review the case and be present at the first court hearing which is the DUI arraignment.

Others choose to first handle the arraignment on their own without a DUI lawyer to help, review the case themselves, and then decide later whether or not they would like an attorney to look at the case.

The most common reason why people hesitate or wait a period of time to get a lawyer after a DUI, DWI happens is because of not being able to afford an attorney. This mistake often happens when an individual arrested for a first offense DUI is unaware of affordable legal help such as local pro bono DUI defense lawyers offered by nearby top DUI law firms, who typically offer this service free of charge.

Information on DUI Arraignment Court Proceedings

During an individual’s arraignment for DUI in court, the pending DUI, DWI charges will officially be placed against them and they will be asked to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. If they have not already retained their own legal counsel, the court may appoint a public defender to the case.

Additionally, either bail for the charged individual will be set or, if the case is a misdemeanor, the defendant may be released on their own recognizance. In most cases, having an attorney present at the arraignment is not necessary, since the charged individual can enter a plea of guilty or not guilty on their own. It is also possible to change the plea at a later time.

After DUI Arraignment

After the DUI arraignment and before trial, when the charged individual is released, he or she should take an objective look at the case and, depending on the circumstances, have an experienced DUI or DWI lawyer review the case. Depending on the evidence and circumstances surrounding the case, the individual may want to take advantage of one of these options after the DUI arraignment hearing and before their trial date:

• Pleading guilty to the charges
• Negotiating a plea bargain for lesser charges (such as reckless driving)
• Requesting a trial before a judge
• Requesting a trial by jury

The more likely it is that a jury will find the individual guilty of DUI or DWI the more the individual should consider taking a plea bargain. Since the Blood Alcohol Content limit in all states is 0.08, having test results from a field sobriety test of over that percentage is almost a guaranteed guilty conviction. If this is the case and the individual still wants to plead not guilty, it falls upon the attorney to convince the jury and/or the judge that the Breathalyzer test was inaccurate for some believable reason.

If an individual’s BAC measured less than 0.08, there is a much better chance of beating the charges. Since having a BAC of less than 0.08 is not considered a crime, the individual will not be convicted of DUI or DWI. It than falls upon the arresting officer to prove that the driver’s judgment and driving abilities were still impaired even with a legal BAC. An experienced DUI attorney will be able to cross examine the arresting officer and other expert witnesses in an attempt to have the individual acquitted.

Choosing a Jury Trial

If upon review of the case with a lawyer the individual decides to take the case to trial, the best chance of winning is to request a trial by jury. Jury trials are statistically easier to win, especially with the help of a knowledgeable DUI attorney, than trials before a judge.

There is always a chance that an individual will be assigned to a judge who has a low or no tolerance view on driving under the influence and the likelihood of an attorney swaying a jury is much higher than swaying the opinion of one person.

Information on Plea Bargaining

Plea bargaining, also known as sentence bargaining, is the process where the charged individual or the individual’s lawyer and the prosecutor of the case reach an agreement about the individual’s charges. In most cases, the defendant will enter a guilty plea in exchange for being convicted of lesser charges, such as reckless driving instead of driving under the influence. These lesser charges often carry lesser consequences, such as smaller fines or less jail time. A lawyer is very important when having the best chance at negotiating a plea deal for DUI and can help the defendant get the best possible outcome given their current situation.

It is important to know, however, that plea bargains or sentence bargains for DUI cases are not as common as they used to be. Many states have completely outlawed driving with a BAC of 0.08 percent or more, which makes winning or plea bargaining for borderline cases (BAC of 0.08 to 0.12) much more difficult. Additionally, some states have outlawed prosecutors from making plea bargains with defendants involved in DUI or DWI cases for any charges less than what is known as “wet reckless.”

Private Attorneys vs. Public Defenders

Regardless of how the individual would like the case handled, either taking a plea bargain or going to trial, it is encouraged for them to have a DUI lawyer present to represent them during the proceedings of the case. In some cases, the defendant is unable to afford to hire a lawyer on their own – when this is the case, the court system will evaluate the financial situation and then decide whether or not appointing a public defender for the case at no charge is an option.

While the local and free legal representation for a DUI case is great, it is important to remember that public defenders in every jurisdiction handle and represent a number of different cases at one time and may not have the expertise needed to try a DUI case effectively. It has been known for public defenders to suggest plea bargains for their clients in DUI cases simply so they do not have to go to trial. While this may work for some cases, not all cases warrant having to take a plea bargain and plead guilty – this is when an experienced DUI, DWI attorney nearby is needed at the initial arraignment hearing in court.

In some cases, an individual’s finances may be tight but they also do not qualify for state representation. If this is the case, it is still recommended that the individual seek the legal advice of an experienced attorney to at least review the case after arraignment. The DUI arraignment attorney will be able to explain the defendant’s options and let them know the likelihood they will win their case if it is taken to trial and whether or not they should consider taking a plea bargain if one presents itself before trial.

DUI, DWI Arraignment 2023 – Additional Arraignment Hearing Law References:

https://dui.drivinglaws.org/resources/dui-and-dwi/dui-arraignments-first-court-date.html

https://www.justice.gov/usao/justice-101/initial-hearing