Do you have the following wrong beliefs?
Myth No. 1- Even if I am found guilty, I will not obtain a criminal record. Drunk driving is simply a traffic violation.
Incorrect!
If you are convicted of drunk driving or a related charge, you will have a criminal record that may affect your ability to get a job or travel internationally.
You will keep that criminal record until your pardon is granted. These days, you will not be able to apply for a pardon for 3-5 years. After that, the process to obtain a pardon can take more than 2 years.
These are serious charges.
Myth # 2 Why bother hiring an attorney? There are no possible defenses.
Incorrect!
Many people share this erroneous belief. The police and pressure groups want you to have that impression. As a result, accused persons often do not hire an attorney to provide an adequate defense. Instead, they plead guilty in situations despite the evidence against them being flimsy, non-existent, or illegally obtained.
Do yourself a favor.
NO DECLARATION OF A CHARGE OF “DEFICIENCIES” OR “OVER 80” WITHOUT CONSULTING AN EXPERIENCED LAWYER. That attorney will review the evidence against you and give you an opinion on your options and advise you on possible outcomes in a trial or a guilty plea.
Myth # 3 Any attorney can represent someone accused of driving while intoxicated or driving for over 80 years.
Incorrect!
That’s like saying that a skin doctor can perform open heart surgery. Impaired cases are specialized. There are a number of technical defenses and jurisprudence is always changing. If you are charged with one of these defenses, you need an attorney who is experienced and up-to-date in these specific areas of the law.
Myth No. # 4 If a law firm advertises that it defends drunk driving cases, they will take my case to trial.
Surprising, but wrong!
If you check the yellow pages, you will see many advertisements from attorneys claiming to defend these charges. However, the fact is that not all companies are prepared to take your case as far as it takes to win.
If they cannot negotiate a favorable resolution to your case, they will simply “plead.”
Be sure to ask the attorneys you are interviewing if they will take your case to trial, if necessary. Ask the attorneys when the last time they made a drunk driving case. If it wasn’t in the last few months … keep looking.