If you’ve been arrested and charged with DUI, you’re probably scared. Anyone would be. Even though you may have friends who have been charged with DUI, you never thought it would happen to you. All of a sudden, you wish you had paid more attention to what your friend went through. Did they hire a DUI lawyer in Spartanburg, South Carolina? If not, did they end up getting convicted? A ton of questions are probably whirling around in your head.
Rather than try to deal with this all by yourself, you should contact our office. There’s nothing wrong with admitting that you’re in over your head. We recommend that you sit down with an experienced DUI lawyer in Spartanburg and see what they have to say. They may be able to help you. They may notice something right off the bat that leads them to think they can get the charges thrown out. Whatever you end up paying for a DUI lawyer will be worth its weight in gold if they can get the charges against you reduced or dismissed.
Your Criminal Defense Attorney in Spartanburg Will Challenge the Traffic Stop
One of the first things your criminal defense attorney in Spartanburg will do is challenge the traffic stop. If they can show that the police didn’t have the right to pull you over, they may be able to get the case thrown out. While this is unlikely, it’s worth a shot. Your attorney will review the evidence the State has against you and see if the traffic stop looked legitimate.
Even if the stop itself was lawful, that doesn’t mean the arrest was. Your lawyer will look at the way the field sobriety test was administered to see if it was fair. They can also watch the video of your arrest and see if anything else stands out to them. These are things you may not be able to do. In fact, you may not even know you have access to this sort of information.
You Don’t Have the Same Expertise as a Seasoned DUI Attorney
Even our clients admit that they don’t have the same kind of expertise as our associates. Why would you? Unless you’re a DUI lawyer in Spartanburg, South Carolina, you have no reason to understand the ins and outs of the DUI laws. Thankfully, our attorneys do. They know what burden the State must meet. They also know how to poke holes in the prosecutor’s case.
Another important thing about having a seasoned DUI lawyer in Spartanburg handle your case is that they have a working relationship with the prosecutors. They have negotiated plea deals on hundreds of cases in the past. They have the respect of the prosecutor’s office and vice versa. This is what allows them to negotiate a plea with the State rather than have you face trial. If they’re able to do this in your case, it will mean the difference between a conviction and a plea to a lesser charge.
The Prosecutor Will Be More Willing to Talk to an Attorney
One of the most frustrating things about being a pro se defendant in a DUI case is that it seems as if the prosecutor ignores you. When you go to court, you’ll have a short window of time in which you can meet with the prosecutor. This time is reserved for defendants who are looking for a plea deal. The problem is that the prosecutor meets with all the DUI lawyers in Spartanburg, South Carolina first.
If there’s enough time, they may meet with a few pro se defendants. However, there are times when time runs out. Then, you take the risk of hanging around in line hoping to get a few minutes with the prosecutor. If they happen to call your case while you’re waiting in line, you may miss your chance to go before the judge all together. This won’t happen if you hire a DUI lawyer in Spartanburg.
Your DUI Lawyer in Spartanburg, South Carolina Can Negotiate a Plea
As briefly mentioned above, there’s a good chance your DUI lawyer in Spartanburg, South Carolina will be able to negotiate a plea deal. Once they have had a chance to review the evidence against you, they’ll start to collect evidence of their own. They will then reach out to the prosecutor handling your case and let them know they plan on representing you in court.
Once the prosecutor knows you hired a DUI lawyer, they’ll take your case a bit more seriously. They may be more willing to entertain a plea deal if your attorney is the one who initiates it. You’d be surprised at how often our attorneys are able to get charges for DUI discounted to a reckless driving charge. Even if you are convicted, your criminal defense attorney in Spartanburg may be able to get a modified sentence or get the judge to approve a diversionary program. These are things you can’t do if you’re representing yourself.
It’s in Your Best Interest to Hire a Criminal Defense Attorney in Spartanburg
If you want the best chances of having your charges dismissed, you’ll hire a criminal defense attorney in Spartanburg. It makes no sense to try to handle this on your own. All the cards are stacked against a defendant in a DUI case. The prosecutor and the judge intend to convict you. That’s the prosecutor’s job. They’ll try to build a case against you using whatever evidence they can find.
It’s your DUI lawyer in Spartanburg, South Carolina’s job to do the opposite. They’ll try to poke holes in the State’s case. This isn’t something you can do on your own. You don’t have the knowledge or experience to do this on your own.
If your hope is to avoid a conviction for DUI, do the wise thing and talk to an attorney. If you decide you still want to handle things by yourself, that’s fine. But at least make an educated decision. Any money you spend on a DUI lawyer in Spartanburg will be well worth it – especially if they’re able to help you avoid a conviction for DUI.