Is An Attorney Necessary For A First DUI Offense?
By Dan Noll on March 19th, 2015 in
A question we are often asked at our office is do I need an attorney for my first offense? The simple answer to that is yes. Any time you are charged with a criminal offense, you should consult with an attorney and hire an attorney if you have the means to do so.
A DUI has a substantial effect on a person’s ability to drive, their employment, their ability to carry on with their family, take their kids to school and everything else. A person who goes into court unrepresented runs the risk of, number 1, pleading guilty to an offense they may not be able to prove.
Number 2, you don’t know if the prosecutor is taking advantage of you. You have no experience to base the offer that you are given against what is fair for your circumstances.
It is always important to consult with an attorney, especially on a DUI. You need to consult with an attorney who has defended DUIs, who has defended DUIs successfully, who understands the field sobriety test, the breathalyzer and every other tangential concern relating to a driving under the influence charge.