If you have been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, you may be concerned about your future. You may be considering hiring a lawyer to help you, but do not know what they can do for you. Here are just some of the ways a lawyer can help you during this process.
Question the Legality of the Stop
One of the first things your lawyer will do is to question whether it was even legal for you to be stopped on the road by the police officer. There must have been some some sign that you were doing something illegal, such as speeding. If you were just driving along the road and the officer stopped you for flimsy reasons, your attorney may be able to have the case dismissed.
If the stop is deemed illegal or meritless, the resulting DUI arrest may also be thrown out of court. However, if the stop was viewed as legal--because you were speeding, for instance--you could still be responsible for a ticket or a fine for that activity, even if your DUI case is thrown out for other reasons.
Investigate the Veracity of the DUI Machine's Results
Your attorney can also call into question whether the machine used to test your blood was in good working condition. As with all machines, the ones used to test your blood alcohol level may malfunction. Your lawyer might be able to get your blood retested at a different lab in order to ensure proper results. If the new lab does not find that you were over the limit, your case may be thrown out.
If something is amiss with the blood test results or they are inconclusive, the next thing your lawyer will do is attempt to get your case dismissed based on the fact that there is no way to know that you were in fact under the influence at all when you were stopped. Were you pulled over because of a broken tail light or an illegal turn? Without a definitive blood test showing that you were drunk, the police officer could only guess at the reasons for those things.
Now that you know what a DUI lawyer can do to help you, you can feel somewhat more confident about things going in your favor. Be sure to talk closely with your lawyer about all possible outcomes so that you can be prepared for whatever happens next.
Share6 October 2015
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