Defending a DWI Charge with a Lawyer

Being convicted of DWI or driving whilst impaired, can carry penalties such as fines, mandatory jail terms and the suspension of your driving license. The penalties for even a first offense can be severe so it is important that you hire a competent DWI lawyer to represent you.

Charges of DWI are taken very seriously and the penalties become more severe for subsequent DWI offenses. If your blood alcohol test reveals levels of 0.08% or higher then you are likely to be charged with DWI. Even if your test results are lower than this you could still be charged if minors were present in the vehicle at the time. If you caused serious injury, damage or even death because of your actions then your charges could be elevated to a felony offense with a jail term penalty. Seeking advice and representation from a qualified DWI lawyer is your best option for trying to defend your case and to seek a lesser penalty.

Convictions for DWI are difficult to bring about because of the technical nature of the evidence gathered against you. It is this evidence that your lawyer will scrutinize to find out if the correct procedures had been followed, if the tests had been properly carried out and if they had been carried out by qualified personnel. There are also other defenses to a DWI charge that your lawyer may seek to pursue including:

• Lack of evidence of driving or control
• No cause to arrest by the police
• Deficiencies in the blood alcohol test
• Unlawful stop
• Denial of right to counsel
• Refusal for independent test
• Wrongly executed field sobriety tests

Your DWI lawyer will seek to protect your rights in DWI cases, however many people think that if the blood alcohol level comes back at over 0.08% then they cannot possibly defend the charges, pleading guilty to all charges will result in your loosing all rights to defend the case. Hiring an experienced lawyer is therefore imperative if you are to have any chance of successfully defending your case, being acquitted or receiving a lesser penalty.

Finding a good lawyer is not too hard but will require you to spend some time meeting with different lawyers, researching lawyers in your area and contacting as many as you can. You should remember that because every state in the United States sets their own laws and legislation with regard to DWI offenses you need to hire a lawyer who practices within the state in which the offense took place, even if it is not the place in which you live. They will have the knowledge of local law and procedure to best advise and represent you.

You can try asking friends and family for referrals as this is often the best way to find a good and reputable DWI lawyer. You can also search online through the some of the many legal directories for lawyers in your area or consult local press, directories and media for adverts.