Here’s the deal: a lot of good people happen to make mistakes that really are mistakes, and drunk driving is often one of them. Just because you make one mistake, that doesn’t mean you deserve to pay for it for the rest of your life.
If you’re facing a charge for driving while intoxicated, the best thing you can do for yourself — before you do anything else — is to look for a good DWI defense attorney. Here are a few reasons why:
- It’s not always possible to get a drunk driving charge thrown out completely; in most cases, it can only be dismissed for a technical reason in the arrest procedures, or else the charges are lessened (but not dropped entirely). When you have a good defense attorney on your side, he/she will know if a case has a technical error — and will be able to prove it in court — or will be able to find a way to get the punishments lessened.
- Because drunk driving laws differ from state to state, it’s important to work with a lawyer who’s familiar with the laws in your own state. These regulations can be difficult to understand — even for experienced attorneys — so they’re really difficult for average people who don’t have any legal experience.
- Finally, a good defense lawyer will likely have a good relationship with others in the legal profession, as well as in local law enforcement, and may even have a good idea about how a judge will decide a case. These lawyers are often able to work with the court to negotiate lighter sentences, and they’re able to put their clients in touch with good driving and substance abuse education centers, which proves that the defendant is already trying to make amends.
Mistakes happen — even to the best drivers. But one mistake of driving under the influence doesn’t necessarily have to lead to serious consequences.
