Petersen Johnson Law Offices

Have you ever been pulled over on a DUI charge? This is really serious business that can affect the rest of your life, but you can protect your rights with the aid of a criminal defense attorney.

Driving under the influence, or DUI, demands quick action on your part to ensure that your driver's license won't be suspended. The chief thing you must do of course is employ a attorney so you'll be released from jail as soon as possible. If you're required to post bail your attorney will be able to help you manage that. 

Once released, it's now time to deal with this very serious matter. In a number of states, including Arizona, a DUI accusation generates 2 separate cases. The primary is filed with the Department of Motor Vehicles, whereas the other is a criminal court case. When challenged with this predicament, you have to face these charges within ten days from the day of the arrest.

DUI Goes to Criminal Court

Just like every other criminal case, this starts by way of your arraignment. You will be requested to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. Chances are, your criminal defense lawyer will tell you to plead not guilty to these charges. This will provide him or her time to review the facts of the case so your defense can be established.

There are numerous strategies that your attorney can make use of to you get out of a DUI. Your lawyer might, for example, argue lack of probable cause for the initial stop. This means there were no grounds whatsoever to stop you, and if that is the situation, he will submit a petition to suppress any evidence that the police obtained when you were pulled over.

it is also possible to dispute faulty or unreliable BAC results. BAC stands for blood alcohol test which is used to find out if the person's alcohol level has reached the maximum limit that makes him or her unsafe to drive a vehicle. The results might be considered faulty if your lawyer can substantiate that the test was not properly administered, the equipment employed was not properly maintained ,or you have a medical condition that may have an impact on the reliability of the test.

Another tactic is to attack the credibility of the arresting officer. If your attorney is able to question the police officers involved in your arrest and prove there are inconsistencies in their testimony compared with the police report they filed, you just might have a chance of getting a not guilty verdict.

But if things are not working in your favor and everything was done by the book, then your criminal defense lawyer may advise you to accept a favorable plea agreement. Doing so may get you reduced charges or sentencing concessions with the district attorney.

If you don't want to negotiate and decide to gamble in court and subsequently lose, then you can try to appeal the court's decision. If you don't, there will likely be an increase in your insurance cost, limits on employment options and you will now have a permanent record.

The Only Way to Get Out of a DUI

The reality is, hiring a criminal defense lawyer is the only way to get out of a DUI charge. So if you've been arrested in Arizona on a driving under the influence charge, call the DUI lawyers at Petersen Johnson to make sure your legal rights are defended.