The scenario: You went out partying and had too much to drink. Let’s just call it what it was: a screwdriver, a few beers, a white zombie, and three tequila shots. Your friends left the bar early for another party and you found yourself relying on a lift from a friend of a friend. When you came out of the bathroom, she was gone. You took your car there and that little voice tells you that it’s only a five-minute drive home. The rationale seems okay, so you get behind your wheel.
Unlucky you (but for the best in the end), a police checkpoint is set up on the main boulevard leading to the freeway. You can’t turn around, so you hope the officer with the flashlight doesn’t notice your slurred speech and alcohol breath. He notices. And you’ve just earned yourself a DUI.
Know Where To Begin
Now the situation got complicated because you need legal representation. This is Southern California—land of a million lawyers. You don’t even know where to begin. You also wonder what this stranger will do for you once you fork over your dough. The answer is this: This person is a professional. They are highly trained throughout law school to attend to the needs of the citizens who seek their services. Better yet, there are attorneys who specialize in DUI legal counsel and DUI legal counsel in Huntington Beach if that’s where you happen to be. Or DUI legal counsel in Anaheim—wherever you might live. But the point is, they deal with cases just like yours all the time. So they will be your consultant, guide, and translator throughout this whole legal embroilment. They will be the person you depend on to make sure you understand what you must do leading up to your trial and how you can exercise your probationary rights. They will help you understand what the judge expects of you. Maybe most importantly, they will be the person who has the power to reduce your fines, jail time, and/or community service hours.
Trust Is Very Important
It’s important that you trust this person. After all, he or she is a stranger who holds your fate in his or her hands. So do your research. Read up on your rights, cases like yours, and types of lawyers who might try to rope you in with low rates just to get your business, even if they don’t specialize in DUI cases. This is especially important because you’re already in a vulnerable position; what would be worse than having a DUI would be having a DUI and a mishandled case to boot. The moral is, protect yourself and minimize your damages.