DWI Defense Attorney

In the past few decades, the laws surrounding driving while intoxicated (DWI), also known as driving under the influence (DUI), have been tightened in the United States and all around the world. Years ago, driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol was not considered seriously as a threat to the safety of the driver and the people around the driver. Driving impaired slows down a person's reaction time a great deal and can cause a person to make poor decisions in the blink of an eye. A full-scale campaign to warn the public about the dangers of smoking began with advertisements and other informative means and laws were established with standards pertaining to the amount of alcohol which is allowed to be in a driver's bloodstream before they are considered over the legal limit. A person's blood alcohol content can be no greater than .08 when they are pulled over and given a breathalyzer test. Even a driver who is below .08 may still be arrested for a DWI if a police officer has a reason to believe that he or she was endangering the lives of drivers and passengers around him or her by driving erratically.

First Step of Finding a DWI Defense Attorney:

If a person is arrested and charged with a DWI, it is important to hire a DWI defense attorney as soon as possible. It is essential to consider one's options during the process of looking for DWI defense attorneys and in today's age, it is a much easier process if one takes advantage of such tools as the Internet. Performing a quick Internet search on any search engine will yield hundreds of possible DWI defense attorneys in one's area that will be available and willing to help. Most DWI defense attorneys will offer free legal consultation to explain a person's rights, possible course of action as a strategy that would yield favorable results, and all the possible outcomes of the case. Some DWI defense attorneys may also provide free consultations over the Internet through network conferencing, eliminating the need to travel to their office to meet with them and explain your situation.

Benefits of Having a Quality DWI Defense Attorney:

Once a DWI defense attorney has been selected, the lawyer and his or her client can begin preparing for the court proceedings. Having an adequate DWI defense attorney shows that a person is taking the case seriously, knows the possible implications and the weight of the case, and has gone through the proper methods in preparing for the case and executing a strategy. In most cases, DWI court proceedings require that a person have legal representation from a DWI defense attorney, so a public defender will usually be assigned to the defendant to represent those who cannot afford an attorney.

The possible punishments for being convicted for the first time for a DWI charge usually involve a possible license suspension, hefty fines, possible jail time if the incident involved injury to another person, mandatory alcoholics anonymous meetings or other places where a person can receive professional help needed, raised insurance premiums, and having a device installed on the defendant's car which checks his or her blood alcohol level before activating the ignition. A DWI defense attorney will usually be able to reduce the punishments and prevent license suspensions, lower fines and prevent jail time by presenting a valid argument to the court. The attorney may also be able to convince a judge to move the case to a DWI court, which focuses on rehabilitation rather than punishment of the convicted person. If a person is convicted for their second or third DWI charge, or if severe injury or death resulted from the defendant's drunk driving, the case will be much more complicated. The defendant in this situation may be charged with a DWI felony (depending on the jurisdiction) and will face time spent in state prison, larger fines, car impounding, license suspension or license permanently revoked, as well as community service.