Even if you’ve been arrested on a first DUI charge, it’s highly likely that you’re going to need the services of a lawyer. There are two types of lawyers who represent DUI defendants. Those are private DUI defense lawyers and public defenders. Public defenders are lawyers who are paid by the taxpayers in criminal cases. They represent people who are charged with crimes and are unable to pay for a private defense lawyer. As opposed to selecting a private DUI defense lawyer to represent you, you’re assigned a public defender for your case, and that’s it. You have no choice in which public defender is going to represent you.
The Public Defender
Most DUIs in Washington are charged as misdemeanors, and they’re heard in courtrooms that are specially designated for DUI cases. According to Ayson Law Firm, a criminal defense lawyer in Deer Park, TX, public defender who is assigned to a DUI courtroom might represent 20 people in a day. He or she will have very little time to discuss your case or answer any questions that you might have. In order to get the best possible outcome on your case, your lawyer’s focus and attention must be devoted to it. Regardless of how dedicated a public defender might be, his or her caseload is likely to interfere with getting the best possible disposition of your case for you.
Experience, Focus and a Fighting Chance
The only downside to hiring a private DUI defense lawyer is that the client must pay for the lawyer’s services, but that can be a huge benefit in the long run. If our Spokane DUI defense lawyer is retained to represent you, we’ll be able to dedicate the professional time and effort that’s necessary to examine all of the evidence in the case and discuss the facts and nuances in it with you. We’re ordinarily accessible when public defenders aren’t. On the other hand, if you’re represented by a public defender, you’re likely to meet that individual for the first time in the courtroom when your case is called. That certainly isn’t sufficient time for a lawyer to gain a sense of the totality of what your case is about or perform a thorough investigation of it. With time, extensive resources and experience on our side, we’re in a far better position than a public defender to identify any weaknesses in the case against you that we can raise in your defense. Those weaknesses might translate into charges being reduced, dismissed or even a not guilty verdict in a trial.
Your Driver’s License
You’ll want to do whatever you can to keep your driver’s license from being suspended after a DUI charge. You only have 20 days from the date of your arrest to request a hearing on that aspect of your case. Public defenders don’t set those hearings for you or attend them with you. If you hire us right away, we can make appropriate arrangements for a hearing on a suspension.
Contact a Spokane DUI Lawyer
A DUI conviction can adversely affect job, educational, housing and other opportunities. You’re going to get far more consideration and the best fighting chance when you hire us on any DUI case in or around Spokane. Contact a Spokane DUI lawyer from our office right away after a DUI arrest, and we can arrange for a free consultation and case review. We’ll be pleased to listen to your side of the story, review your arrest documents and answer your questions. After that, we’ll advise you of your full range of legal options.
