A DUI is among the most serious charges a driver can ever face. The reason is that driving while intoxicated is understandably looked down upon by society, so the penalties for such a charge can be severe. Those penalties are meant to punish those guilty of a DUI and to dissuade others from engaging in that kind of behavior. However, anyone who is charged with a DUI has the right to defend themselves.
The chance of a successful defense increases with the help of an experienced DUI attorney. They will represent you and can get your penalties reduced or dismissed altogether. You can try representing yourself, but the odds of success are much lower if you do so. It is why the smart decision will always be to get a lawyer after you have been charged with a DUI. If you live in Florida, then make sure to contact a DUI attorney in Orlando Fl if you get charged with a DUI.
If you are going to represent yourself in a DUI case, then your choices are to post bail, plead guilty, or make a plea deal. Posting bail is easy enough to do as long as you have the money to do so. The other choices are a lot trickier. A guilty plea might seem to be an easy way out, but you should know that a relatively low BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) of 0.08% to 0.10% does not guarantee a conviction. That means, in those cases, a guilty plea may not be the best idea. Regardless of your plea, you should learn about the penalties for a DUI in your state before making a decision.
You can also choose plea or sentence bargaining if your state allows either choice. A plea bargain allows you to reduce your DUI charge to a lesser one if it is successful. With a sentence bargain, you can reduce the potential penalties you will have to face.
When you hire an attorney, you have the same options available to you as you do when you represent yourself, but you have a much greater chance of success. Since your attorney has much more familiarity with the legal system than you do, they have a much better chance of negotiating a plea bargain or sentence bargain for you. That is good for you because the stakes of a DUI charge are quite high even for a first offense. The stakes get even higher for subsequent offenses, which means that the counsel of an experienced attorney becomes even more important.
There is an old legal maxim that states that the lawyer who represents themselves has a fool for a client. You do not want to represent yourself in a DUI case, especially if you are not an attorney; the stakes are simply too high to take such a chance. It is far better if you hire a good DUI attorney to handle your case. They will give you a much better chance of a successful outcome of your case. That could mean a reduced plea, a reduced sentence, or even the complete dismissal of your case. So make sure to contact a lawyer if you ever get charged with a DUI.