7 things to do when charged with a DUI

Are you charged with drunk driving? There are several things you should know. They would help you handle the charge better. 

What Is A DUI? 

DUI stands for driving under the influence. You don’t have to be intoxicated to be charged with it. You may have taken drugs instead. Drunk driving is a criminal offense, and it would be on your record forever. Depending on where you live, the conditions that would get you charged for drunk driving differ. 

Be Calm

Are you charged with DUI? What to do now would be all you’re thinking of. Try and stay calm. You don’t want to be arrested for resisting an arrest as well.

If you’re calm, you would be able to analyze your surroundings. The conditions surrounding your arrest may not be valid. For example, the officer may not have had a reason to test your blood alcohol levels. This could throw the whole case out of the window. 

Witnesses

Let’s talk about the condition in which the arrest took place again. You may not have been driving under the influence, but due to faulty testing, the breath analyzer said there was alcohol in your system. If there were witnesses at the scene, they would be able to contest that you were in your senses. 

Try and create as long of a witness list as possible. This would give your lawyer the most people to call. 

Lawyer

You’re probably a first-time offender. You won’t go to jail. Most likely, you would have to do community service and pay a fine. How much you would have to pay depends on how good of a lawyer you get. Some criminal attorneys specialize in drunk driving cases. Look around to snag the best. Mass Tsang DUI attorneys are known for their expertise. 

You may be a second- or third-time offender. This complicates things. You could face jail time. It would especially important that you get a qualified lawyer then. 

Bail 

Bail would let you get out of jail until your court hearing. Some lawyers specialize in handling bail. They’d get you out as fast as possible, and they would try and get the sum lowered. 

If you can’t make the payment, don’t worry. There are specific lenders to work with. You can pay them back in installments. 

Questions 

At the station, try and limit how many questions you answer. Something you say may be used against you. The best move would be to only answer questions when your attorney is present.

Don’t Get in Trouble

While you’re waiting for the case to go to court, don’t get into any more trouble. This might make it harder for your lawyer to sell your case. Moreover, you’d have another charge to deal with, so you’d have another worry over your head. 

A drunk driving offense is very serious. However, it’s not the end of the world. If you’re a first-time offender, you won’t go to jail. It would still be a good idea to get an excellent lawyer, though.