By: Miami DUI Attorney Albert Quirantes
A DUI offense is one of the most common criminal violations the United States. The difference between DUI and other criminal offenses is that the usual suspects are not what you’d think of as a “criminal element”. In fact, many politicians, police officers, lawyers, prosecutors, and judges have been convicted of DUI along with doctors, accountants, firefighters and even nurses. Due to the way our society pressures most people into drinking alcohol at social events, anyone who’s not paying attention can get into his car and drive away right into peril.
A non-impaired person may easily be mistaken for an impaired one just due to the smell of an alcoholic beverage on one’s breath. This is because DUI is a crime of opinion. Many convictions are mistakenly obtained either because a person just pleads guilty or he is convicted due to the sheer political environment around the issue of DUI and the current stigma against drunk drivers. Fortunately, most people know they can count on finding a DUI lawyer who can work with them to make sure they are not convicted unfairly just because of an officer’s “opinion”.
Finding the right DUI lawyer to fight for you can mean the difference between being found innocent or guilty. It might be the key to having your charges reduced or dropped – or having your arrest and court records sealed or expunged. So take a little time to find the right lawyer – but not too much time. You only have ten days (10) – that’s TEN DAYS to fight to try to save your driver’s license. That’s because your lawyer must file an administrative petition for a formal review of your license suspension to even exercise your right to fight it! Now that’s what you call a short period of time.
Even though you can easily find DUI lawyers who can defend your case, you must at all costs not take your DUI case for granted or wait to go to court first before speaking to or hiring a lawyer. Don’t make the mistake of hiring the “cheapest lawyer”, because your case will probably get that much attention. A DUI case can really have a huge impact on your family. Some worst case scenarios associated with DUI in Florida are losing your job, your license and landing in jail.
Working with an aggressive Miami DUI lawyer who will fight your case might be easier to do than you realize. Many of us offer Free Initial Consultations, reasonable fees and payment plans to suit almost any budget.
The main benefits of working with your private DUI lawyer are as follows:
- You will have someone who is going to put time in your case to figure out all the possibilities and options available to fight the charges against you.
- Faced with a challenge, it may impossible for the state to prove the charges because remember, you are innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. They have the burden of proving every element with evidence beyond a reasonable charge.
- You will always have someone by your side all throughout each of the legal procedures and through all the court appearances that you have to make. You will avoid making the mistakes and pitfalls you’d make if you were representing yourself.
- You will also have the best possible chance of avoiding the risks you are facing, which include jail time, costly fines, loss of license and a criminal record that will last a lifetime.
- You will also have an experienced professional by your side to help you face any additional charges civil or criminal charges that you may be dealing with.
Accused individuals who work with a DUI lawyer have a much better idea about what their options are and what they should do in order to avoid the worst outcomes. Every person’s needs are different but with the assistance of an attorney, you can probably get the best possible outcome available in your particular driving under the influence case. It is therefore not wise to enter a courtroom without having hired the best DUI attorney you could afford.
When it comes to hiring a skilled Miami DUI lawyer, your best bet is to look for experience. Along with a reputation for excellence, experience in handling your DUI case in the jurisdiction that it will be fought in is critical to gain an advantage in court. You can’t just pick your lawyer by advertising, that’s your best avenue to run into a high volume mill that needs lots of cases to pay their expensive advertising campaigns. Look at reviews from the people who’ve used the lawyer to see what their experience has been. Don’t take shortcuts or hire your lawyer over the phone. That’s a recipe for disaster in my opinion. Sit down with your DUI lawyer to see if you get the right feeling. Your gut instinct on this will keep you out of trouble.
You’ll want and need a friend in court, someone who cares about you as a human being. You’ll need a lawyer who is not looking at you as a number or a dollar sign. You’ll need someone you can trust in when it comes to making decisions which will impact your case and your future. Interview your lawyer like you are interviewing a potential job candidate. You’ll be much happier if you take the time to research your lawyer and meet with him or her personally before making the decision to hire him or her.
At my firm, I like to say that I’m more than just a lawyer to my clients, I’m a friend. If I take a case, it’s because I’m comfortable representing my client and look forward to a longstanding friendship on this side of the jail cell.
Increase your knowledge! If you want to know more about how to resolve the problems you face when charged with a DUI, criminal offense, or traffic ticket in Florida, then you can follow Albert M. Quirantes – Ticket Law Center, A Criminal & DUI Defense Law Firm on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.
If you have any questions about this or any other DUI or criminal defense accusation, call Miami DUI Defense Lawyer Albert Quirantes at: 305-644-1800 or visit our homepage wwwDUIfirm.com for a direct link to the office or a text message or a map and directions to our office.