Building a Defense For First Offense DUI Charges in DC

Due to the serious consequences that accompany a first-time DUI conviction, it is important that if charged, you put yourself in a position to build the strongest possible defense. Below, an experienced DC first offense DUI lawyer explains some ways to go about building a defense for first time DUI charges including the collection of evidence, and when during the criminal process you should contact an attorney.

To learn more about DUI charges in general, or to see what an attorney can do for your case call and schedule a free consultation today.

What To Look For When Building a Defense For DUI Charges

In any DUI case, a DC DUI lawyer is going to look at the reason for the law enforcement officer or officers to approach and interact with his or her client. A defense attorney wants to know the following:

• If the officers made a traffic stop, what was the basis to the traffic stop?
• If the officers approached the client who was in the car, but the car was not moving, what were the circumstances around that?

There could be constitutional issues with regards to why the police engaged with the client to begin with.

A DC DUI lawyer then assesses how the police interaction with the client escalated to the point of an investigation for DUI where the officers are asking questions about drinking and where they are trying to get the client to engage in Field Sobriety Test. These and other details are the relevant facts and circumstances around any Field Sobriety Test. Finally, a DUI attorney will then look into any issues having to do with any breath, blood or urine sample that was taken by the police from my client after the arrest.

In every case, an experienced defense attorney looks for issues that could be related to the specific facts that the government would need to establish to successfully prosecute client for a DUI. They look for any possible witnesses, any video evidences of either the traffic stop or what occurred thereafter (meaning the Field Sobriety Test), the questioning—anything that can be used establish reasonable doubt.

An aggressive DC DUI lawyer does not simply accept the government’s version of events and just assume everything was done properly and all of the testing equipment procedures were properly calibrated and certified and procedures properly implemented. Rather, he or she investigates every single part of the prosecution’s body of evidence to determine if there are any issues that can be attacked.

Therefore if you are facing your first DUI charge in Washington, DC call today and schedule a consultation with a DC DUI lawyer today.

When To Contact An Attorney After a DUI Arrest

After the arrest occurs, you are actually the defendant, and at this point you are in the position to hire an attorney because you have been charged with a DUI. The biggest mistake is not immediately seeking the advice of counsel, not looking through either whatever resources you may have, such as friends, family, business associates, prior counsel, and internet search— whatever you need to do to get the assistance of an attorney promptly. Don’t wait until the last minute.

When it comes to D.C. DUI cases, you want to make sure that you have counsel advising you as early as possible because there are very specific timeframes with regards to like the DC DMV process. There is a ticking clock, and if you don’t hire counsel promptly, you may miss or miscalculate the timeframes that are involved, or you just may make a poor decision because you simply haven’t been through the process before. These are some of the main reasons why you should hire an experienced DC. DUI attorney as soon as you can.