Guest Author Article: Not affiliated with St. Louis law firm of Sansone & Lauber:
If you have been unfortunate enough to be caught and arrested for drunk driving, you must be weighing the pros and cons of hiring a DUI lawyer. Some people think that they do not need to hire a lawyer and they can represent themselves in court. Others think it is not a good idea to spend thousands of dollars on hiring a lawyer when they will eventually have to pay court fee and other DUI fines if they are proven guilty. However, as a first time DUI convict, you must understand that hiring a DUI lawyer to represent you in court should be your first priority. This is because as a layman, you will be unaware of how to deal with the situation in court and you will also not be aware of the local DUI laws, and what actions you must take to defend yourself. If you do not get professional consult, then you must prepare yourself to face the consequences of a DUI conviction, which can be severe in most states and will haunt you for the rest of your life, not to mention, leaving a permanent criminal mark on your record. So before you make the decision of whether or not to hire a DUI lawyer, you must ask some questions to yourself:
Are you aware of your Rights?
As a citizen of the state, you must be aware of your rights and the officer on duty who arrested you should tell you about your rights at the time of arrest. You may also not be sure whether you can refuse a breath test and other field sobriety tests, if the police officer asks you to take them. If you are not aware of your rights, and in the case you are arrested, you may be taken advantage of.
Are you aware of the local DUI laws?
You may also not be aware of the local laws and what you need to do in order to get your driving license back if it is suspended. The local laws include penalties and fines which will be imposed on you if you are proven guilty and the consequences also include spending time in jail, probation or serving community service hours, installation of an ignition interlock device and so on.
An experienced lawyer at you side can make a big difference by fighting for you at every step of the way. Your lawyer will take every possible measure to make sure that the charges against you are reduced as much as possible if not removed completely. They will also make sure that the fines are reduced and if the court orders any punishment, it is also minimized.
However, if you do not have a lawyer at your side, you will not be sure how to go about handling your case. You will not be aware of the deadlines which you have to meet in order to save your driving privileges. Similarly, you will not know what actions of the police officer on duty can be questioned in court and used in your favour.
Author Bio
Richard Jacobs is a chief editor since early 2007, and he currently works for MyDUIattorney. A website that helps you to find the right DUI lawyer, you can search for a Maryland DUI Attorney, and Arizona DUI Lawyer online, anytime! Top St. Louis Missouri DWI Lawyer.