You can represent yourself in court — but should you?
Being arrested for a DUI is a scary experience, and it can be an expensive one. If you are facing DUI charges, you may be asking yourself if you should hire an attorney. Like many people, you may be concerned about the cost of an attorney — or how you will be able to find a lawyer who will represent your best interests and fight for your rights. You may also believe that it’s such a straightforward issue that representing yourself will be easy, especially if your plan is to plead guilty to the charges.
If you are arrested on criminal charges, you have the constitutional right to an attorney. If you are unable to pay for an attorney, you will be appointed one at no cost to you — but this means meeting strict income standards. Many people fall into an in-between category: their income is too high for a court-appointed lawyer, but perhaps too low to comfortably afford to pay for a private DUI lawyer in Irvine, CA. They may think that this means that they should just go ahead and represent themselves. And in most cases, if you are competent, you will be permitted to represent yourself. But just because you can represent yourself does not mean that it is a good idea. As the old adage goes, “a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client.”
Why You Need A Lawyer
DUI charges may seem simple: either you were driving drunk or you were not. But defending against DUI charges requires a fair amount of specialized knowledge. This includes everything from the law to court rules to the science of how your body processes alcohol and even how cases like yours are typically handled. Most non-lawyers — and most lawyers who do not work in DUI defense — do not have this knowledge.
The court system is complicated, and the law surrounding criminal charges is vast and potentially confusing. There are many potential defenses that you may miss if you do not hire an attorney — leading you to plead guilty to charges that could have been reduced or dismissed with the help of a good attorney. For example, a DUI lawyer in Irvine, CA will understand the rules for collecting and testing breath and blood samples. If those rules are violated, the case could be dismissed entirely. If the police violated your rights in stopping or arresting you, an attorney could file a motion to have your case dismissed based on that violation. Most people do not know these rules or laws — and would not be aware that they have the ability to get their case dismissed.
Beyond the law, DUI cases involve scientific evidence — the chemical tests that show what your blood alcohol content (BAC) was at the time of your arrest. While most attorneys are not scientists, DUI lawyers in Irvine, CA do have a deep familiarity with how the body processes alcohol and how these tests work. They will also likely have connections to a network of experts, such as forensic toxicologists, who can testify on your behalf that you were not actually intoxicated at the time that you were driving.
Attorneys who specialize in DUI defense also have relationships with local prosecutors. A DUI lawyer in Irvine, CA will know whether a prosecutor is likely to make a deal or dismiss a case — and can use his knowledge of this information to your advantage. For example, if he knows that a case with similar facts with dismissed a few months ago, he could bring that up to argue that your case should be dismissed as well.
A DUI conviction will be on your criminal record for life. It can result in serious consequences, from a license suspension to heavy penalties, mandatory DUI school, probation or even jail time. If you have been arrested for a DUI, you cannot afford to not hire a skilled DUI lawyer in Irvine, CA. The stakes are too high — and the potential impact is too serious.
Contact the Chambers Law Firm today at 714-760-4088 or dchambers@clfca.com to learn more about how we can help if you have been arrested for a DUI in Irvine or the surrounding areas. We offer free initial consultations and will put our specialized knowledge to work to fight for your legal rights!
