It is important to understand whether you need an attorney for a first DUI offense. Could there be evidence of your innocence? Do you understand the significant penalties if you are determined to be guilty? Those questions and more can be answered when you hire DUI attorneys in Jacksonville FL. Typically, a first offense driving under the influence charge is a misdemeanor. A lot of courts actually have a standard sentence for a first offense DUI. It takes strong evidence to back up charges for driving while intoxicated. Such evidence includes an elevated blood alcohol content level, failed field sobriety tests and witnesses stating they saw you driving erratically to name a few. Some people may even decide to plead guilty. However, it is not a good idea to do this without speaking to an attorney first. Chances are you do not understand DUI law and can make big mistakes without legal guidance.
DUI Attorneys Know the Facts
Proving a DUI case is all about the facts. Some facts may increase your penalty including an extremely high blood alcohol content, involvement in an accident as well as other aspects. There are also aspects that could decrease DUI penalties including procedural issues that were not followed during an arrest. Regardless of whether you may suffer from worse penalties, or have a case that could decrease penalties, you should hire an attorney. A DUI attorney will immediately recognize the facts and are more than capable of helping you with a plan of action that includes representation should your DUI case go to trial.
Should You Plea Bargain?
Expert DUI attorneys will be able to help you decide whether you should plea-bargain. Plea bargaining is when you agree to pleading guilty so you will receive a lesser charge from the prosecution. Factors involved in plea bargains typically create doubt when it comes to justifying an arrest. Those factors can include questionable field sobriety test results, questions concerning the accuracy of a BAC, a BAC that was below 0.8%, or procedural problems during your arrest such as not reading your Miranda rights to you. A DUI attorney can help you get those charges reduced or possibly even thrown out.
