WHAT IS A DUI MILL"?
A "DUI mill" is usually a law firm operated by a lawyer who charges a lot of money, claims to have a large staff and office, but who rarely if ever speaks to you personally or handles your case personally after he or she has been paid. Often, defendants who have been release from jail after their arrest will receive dozens of letters in the mail "soliciting" their business. What you find in many cases that someone else with little experience and not personal knowledge of you or your case will handle your matter. Unlike a "DUI mill", I personally answer all my own calls, give my personal phone and Email address to my clients, and personally handle your case. It is this personal attention that separates our office from these "DUI mill".
CAN A JUDGE GIVE ME A RESTRICTED LICENSE?
No. On the contrary, a judge can order that the DMV not give you a restricted license.
DOES A DUI MEAN THAT I WAS 'DRUNK WHILE DRIVING'?
No. DUI means that you were either driving when your ability to drive as a reasonable and sober person was impaired or when your blood alcohol level exceeded the legal level of .08%. You could haqve felt "sober" and still be guilty of DUI. DO DUIs INVOLVE ONLY ALCOHOL No. A defendant may be charged with a DUI after drinking alcohol, taking prescription drugs, illegal drugs, or any combination. One could also be charged with DUI if you smoked marijuana before or during driving.
CAN MY ATTORNEY APPEAR FOR ME IN COURT
Under most situations involving misdemeanor DUIs, we can appear in court without the accused. This allows our client the ability not to lose work or drive when their privilege to do so has been taken from them.
CAN MY CASE BE DISMISSED EVEN IF THE BLOOD ALCOHOL RESULTS ARE OVER.08%?
Yes. The chemical test is not infallible. Every test has its own strengths and weaknesses. One should never make a decision about your case until you have had an opportunity to review the police reports and other relevant evidence(statements from your witness, for example) with your attorney. Often people may wish to merely walk into court and plead guilty because they feel terrible about what happened. Before you do so, please take the time to review the evidence. Police reports and other evidence may be flawed. DUIs have lifetime consequences that may be avoided or reduced. Likewise, the police cannot stop a person merely on suspicion or a hunch.We have been successful is dozens of cases over the years where the police were not legally justified in stopping our client. In these cases, the court has held that the police did not have a legally valid reason to stop and the evidence of excessive alcohol may be inadmissible.
CAN I GET THIS DUI OFF OF MY RECORD?
You may seek an expungement or record clearance of a conviction. This allows for a "removal" of a conviction for private sector employment. The conviction would remain on your record for purposes of future criminal charges, as well as for any public sector employment, licensure or the DMV. My first objective in representing my client is to have all charges dismissed. There are various ways of doing so in each case. We may attack a case of the facts or on legal grounds. If a dismissal is not possible then attempts are made to get the charges reduced and /or the penalties reduced. I want my client to be seen in a personal light, separate from everyone else in court. I want the prosecution and the court to see all the positive accomplishments in our life in order to mitigate the punishment. I want the judge to be positively influenced by who you are so that he or she is more likely to exercise favorable discretion in your case. Over nearly 4 decades of criminal experience and as a Board Certified Criminal Specialist, I have handled thousands of cases involving DUI. I work with my clients to develop a strategy that meets with their personal goals and issues. I listen to their needs and offer assistance in and outside of the court.
