Familiarizing yourself with the DUI process can help you understand a DUI charge brought against you and how to fight the charge. When should I hire a DUI lawyer? If charged with a DUI, you might want to consider hiring a DUI lawyer to represent you in court. However, understanding at what point to retain such a lawyer in the process of your case is not always easy. You might wonder if you should hire a lawyer as soon as possible, if you should wait until after the arrest, or to wait until your case goes to trial. Knowing when to hire a DUI lawyer can help you fight the charges with to the best of your ability.
On this page, you can learn more about the process of hiring a lawyer and when the right time to hire a lawyer is. We discuss the different stages of a DUI arrest here.
In general, the first step in the DUI process consists of an investigation carried out by police officers. In most cases, there isn’t time to hire a lawyer during the investigation, because the investigation usually consists of a police officer pulling you over and giving you a series of tests (breath test, field sobriety tests, etc). During the investigation itself, it is in your best interest to remember everything that happens so that you can inform a lawyer of the circumstances of your arrest later on. If you get arrested, this means that the police have probable cause against you. If you hire a DUI lawyer once you get arrested, your lawyer could try to fight the police officers’ claim that they have probable cause.
If you have not hired a lawyer by the time of your arrest, you should definitely hire one when you go to court. This is the stage in the DUI process where you are formally charged with the DUI. At this point, you need to make a plea of guilty or not guilty. You should have an attorney for this part of the process because you should discuss a strategy for your case with an experienced attorney before making a plea. In addition, you could negotiate a plea bargain, in which case you would want to have a lawyer present. A lawyer can also help you to present your case, give evidence to prove that you were not driving under the influence, or find a way to have your punishment reduced.
The bottom line is that you should retain a DUI lawyer as soon as you are arrested or charged with driving under the influence. The only time that you should not hire a DUI lawyer is if you know that you are going to plead guilty to the charges and wish to accept the punishments that come along with the offense. However, because a DUI in Connecticut will result in a suspension of your license, fines, and potential jail time, you should seriously consider at least attempting to fight the charge with the help of a DUI lawyer.
Finding the right lawyer can also take time, so you should start the process immediately. When should I hire a DUI lawyer? If you want to hire a lawyer to help you through your case, they should have all of the facts as soon as possible in order to build a strong case for you.
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