DUI defense
A DUI arrest is two cases at once
One is in court and decides the charge. The other is over your license, and it moves faster. I take on both from the first call.
Most DUI files have something worth questioning: why the car was pulled over, how the roadside tests were explained, how long the officer watched you before a breath test, how a blood sample was stored and who tested it. None of that shows up until someone asks for the records, and some records are only kept for a short time. So I ask for them in the first week.
Then you get the honest picture: what the evidence looks like, what a plea would mean, and what a trial would. You decide which way we go.
In the file
What I read before we talk about a plea
The stop
Whether there was a lawful reason to pull you over, or to keep you there.
The roadside tests
How they were explained, the ground they were done on, and what the video shows.
The breath or blood test
Timing, the machine's maintenance records, and how a sample was kept.
Your record
Whether this is a first offense, and what a conviction would add to it.
Your license
The hearing deadline, a work permit if one's possible, and an interlock.
Your job
Whether you drive for work, hold a professional license, or need to travel.
DUI questions
Before your first court date
I refused the breath test. Does that make it worse?
It changes the case. A refusal often brings its own license consequences, separate from the DUI, and it can be used in court. It also means there may be no number for the state to rely on. We look at both sides of it.
This isn't my first DUI. Can you still help?
Yes. A repeat charge carries heavier penalties, so the record of the earlier case matters as much as this one. I'll ask for both. A repeat DUI is quoted separately from the first-offense fee.
My child is under 21 and was charged. What's different?
The legal limit is lower for drivers under 21, and the license rules are often stricter. A parent can be on every call if the driver wants that. The driver is still the client, and decides what happens.
Will I need an ignition interlock?
Some cases end with one, and some drivers can use one to keep driving sooner. Whether it applies to you depends on the charge, your record and the court. I'll tell you early so it isn't a surprise.