A skilled DUI defense attorney can present a number of factual and legal defenses to help you win your case.
If you’ve been arrested for a DUI, you may be in a state of panic, falsely believing that there is nothing that you can do — but there is hope! Just because the police have charged you with a DUI offense does not mean that you are guilty, or that there is nothing to do to fight back. In reality, there are many different ways to defend yourself against DUI charges.
A conviction for a DUI means that you will have a criminal record and face a slew of penalties and consequences. You will likely be sentenced to mandatory DUI school, a license suspension, community service, probation, steep fines, and possibly even jail time. Beyond the legal consequences, you will see an impact on other areas of your life, from limitations on international travel to higher insurance costs. Because a DUI is a serious crime, it pays to have an experienced DUI lawyer to defend you.
A DUI lawyer in Rancho Cucamonga, CA can help you fight DUI charges in a number of ways, starting with your very first meeting. Read on to learn more about how a top-notch attorney can be your best advocate if you have been charged with a DUI.
Factual Defenses
Each DUI case is different — and each case presents an opportunity to challenge the police’s assertion that you were driving under the influence of alcohol. There are many reasons why the police may have wrongly accused you of drunk driving. Your DUI lawyer in Rancho Cucamonga, CA can explore each of these reasons to work towards getting your charges reduced or dismissed.
For example, if you are asked to take a field sobriety test, perhaps you performed poorly on it because of a medical condition that causes you to have poor balance. A breath test may register false positive results if you have diabetes or other medical conditions, and a blood sample may have been contaminated or improperly handled or stored. Your lawyer could argue that even the signs of intoxication claimed by the police — like that you were driving erratically or “acted drunk” — are not proof that you really were driving under the influence. You may have had red eyes from allergies, or perhaps you just aren’t a great driver. There are many ways that your attorney can challenge the so-called facts that led to your arrest — and potentially have your charges reduced or dismissed.
Legal Defenses
Your lawyer may also be able to present legal defenses to the charges. These arguments are not necessarily saying that you were not driving under the influence, but the police broke a law or regulation and as such, your charges were not valid.
One example of such an argument is that the police did not have probable cause to stop you (a reasonable suspicion that you were driving under the influence). If the police didn’t have probable cause, then they may have violated your constitutional rights — and the charges could be dismissed as a result. Or your DUI lawyer in Rancho Cucamonga, CA could argue that even if you were intoxicated, you were not driving under the influence according to the law because you were able to operate the vehicle with the care and caution of a sober person in similar circumstances.
Just because you are charged with a DUI does not mean that you will automatically be convicted or that you should plead guilty. The Chambers Law Firm can help defend you against California DUI charges. Contact our office today at 714-760-4088 or dchambers@clfca.com to schedule a free initial consultation and learn more about how we can help you if you have been charged with a DUI.
