Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Blog
Charlotte DWI Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “If I simply intend to plead guilty, why do I need a lawyer?”
Getting behind the wheel when you are under the influence of alcohol or other impairing substance is illegal and incredibly dangerous. Those who are caught driving under the influence face some serious penalties. If you have been drinking, the best thing to do is to give your keys to someone else or otherwise get a ride home. However, if you find yourself facing a charge for driving under the influence (DUI), an experienced DUI attorney can help you obtain the best result possible. You might wonder if it is necessary to hire an attorney to fight the DUI charge, the answer is yes. An attorney can be extremely helpful for a variety of reasons.
Keeping Your License
When someone is arrested for a DUI, his or her license is automatically restricted and the person is no longer free to drive. Driving while you are in the midst of DUI proceedings is sometimes a possibility, but if for some reason this is not an option an attorney can help you obtain your license when the court case is over depending on how the case was resolved. An attorney can work to get the charges you are facing reduced so that having your license reinstated is possible. Without the work of an experienced attorney, you might not have as much success getting charges reduced.
Keeping Your Future Bright
A criminal conviction has far-reaching consequences outside of just serving the sentence that a judge hands down. A criminal conviction can affect nearly every aspect of your life — employability, housing, social, etc. Employers that run a background check can see a DUI conviction and this could whether or not you are offered employment. Similarly, some landlords have policies regarding renting to people with criminal backgrounds. An experienced attorney can work hard to try and mitigate the damages that the charge could bring.
Reduced Sentencing
There is never any guarantee of what result a criminal case will bring. However, you set yourself up for the best chance at success when you hire an attorney. An attorney will know the protocol of the court, which arguments to use, and will use his or her skills and experience to negotiate lesser charges or lighter sentencing. While you might think the cost of hiring an attorney is too much, it is minimal in comparison with the costs of a difficult sentence. An attorney will argue for reduced probation, avoiding an ignition interlock system, reducing charges to avoid higher premiums, etc.
If you or a loved one has been charged with a DUI, the criminal law attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are here to help you. We know that people sometimes make mistakes, and one mistake should not have severe consequences on the rest of your life. Our attorneys use every defense and argument possible to get your charges reduced or sometimes even completely dropped. Your success is important to us. Contact us today for a consultation. If you find yourself facing criminal charges and need the help of an experienced criminal defense attorney in or around Charlotte, Lake Norman, or our new office in Monroe, please contact Arnold & Smith, PLLC today at (704) 370-2828 or find additional resources here.
The criminal defense attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC make it their mission to zealously defend their clients on a wide range of criminal matters at both the state and federal levels. These matters may include any charge from traffic offenses; DWI/DUI; drug charges (from simple possession to possession with intent to distribute and trafficking); gun permit denials; weapons offenses; and property crimes (larceny, breaking and entering, robbery, fraud, embezzlement, white collar offenses); to sexually related offenses (indecent exposure; sexual assault, crimes against nature, removal from sex offender registry); and violent crimes (domestic violence; assault; manslaughter; homicide, murder). Other legal issues that Arnold & Smith, PLLC criminal clients may be facing include restraining orders, restraining order and probation violations, expungements; appeals; and immigration issues related to criminal charges. Our criminal defense attorneys are passionate about ensuring that individuals empower themselves by being informed about their constitutional rights, and stand at the ready to fight in the defense of those facing criminal charges.
Source:
https://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-138.1.html
http://www.ncids.org/defender%20training/2011NewMisdemeanor/DWI_SentencingChartAfter12-1-11.pdf
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https://www.freeimages.com/photo/license-wall-5-1445048
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