Should You Plead Guilty or No Contest For a DUI Case?

If you or your loved ones were accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances, you must be prepared to face some genuinely harsh legal consequences. With the ever growing number of DUI accidents, the law enforcement authorities do not take these offenses lightly.

When it comes to the legal punishment, you can expect a number of things. First of all, the arresting officer, will take your driving license and will instead provide you with a temporary permit that will allow you to operate your vehicle for 30 more days. Afterwards, your license will be revoked. If you want to protest against this decision, you can file an official request to the DMV in order to initiate an administrative hearing within 10 days after the accident.

Depending on the circumstances of the accident, you may also be obliged to pay restitution and expensive fines – tens of thousands of dollars. Besides, even if you will get to keep your license, you may still be obliged to purchase a special SR22 insurance that was specifically designed for high risk drivers. This insurance will cost almost three times as much as the standard one, so you will have to pay a small fortune for it.

You also may be obliged to perform a community service. If a person was injured or even killed during the accident, you may be incarcerated and sentenced to jail or state prison, which is a pretty terrifying option indeed.

Prior to the actual trial, the so-called arraignment is going to take place. This is when your rights will be read to you. Among those rights, there is a very important one – the right for an attorney. You have a legal right to be represented by a qualified experienced DUI defense attorney from The Law Offices of Criminal Specialists. In case you cannot hire one, a public lawyer will be provided to you. However, it is also important to know that the vast majority of public lawyers have their hands full with other cases and will be unable to provide you with a genuinely effective defense strategy. That is why it is best to hire professional legal representative.

At the arraignment, you will also be granted with an opportunity to enter in a plea bargain. You can plead as not guilty, guilty or no contest. However, do not be too hasty. It is crucial to consult an attorney beforehand. After all, even if you are going to plead as guilty or no contest, it does not necessarily mean that your sentence will be less harsh. Only a good lawyer will know what kind of consequences to expect from such a bargain, so it is wise to consult him or her prior to making any significant decisions.

If that is the case and you do not want to have your life ruined because of the decisions that you made in court, do not hesitate to find a seasoned drunk driving criminal defense specialist, who will always be more than happy to represent your interests and will defend your rights in court. This is the only effective strategy in case you wish to argue with the court or wish to have the case dismissed whatsoever. Public attorneys may not be good enough for you and it is best that you do everything in your power to hire an industry’s expert as soon as possible.