Should I Hire a Shreveport Criminal Defense Attorney for a DUI?
If you are arrested for any crime here in Louisiana, you can potentially benefit by having a criminal defense lawyer help you. The first goal of any criminal defense is to beat the charge. That means trying to get the charge dropped by the prosecuting attorneys, dismissed by the judge, or convincing a jury to acquit after trial. Why? Let's go over some potential consequences if you are convicted of a DWI.
You do not want to have to serve time in jail or attend community service.
You do not want to be assessed a large fine after a conviction.
You do not want a conviction on your record (which is bad, but is doubly bad because it can be an enhancing conviction for sentencing for some future DWI)
You do not want your license suspended.
You do not want to have an ignition lock device installed on your vehicle to be able to drive to work.
You do not want to lose your auto insurance (and have to get expensive SR-22 insurance)
You do not want your name in the newspaper.
You do not want employers to know about your conviction.
You do not want any of the other adverse impacts on your life.
You can benefit from a top-rated criminal defense attorney helping you to try to avoid the consequences of a Louisiana DWI/OWI arrest.
Further, you also need a competent Louisiana criminal defense attorney to accomplish second-tier goals if the DWI charge cannot be defended against. The next-best goal, if you cannot obtain a dismissal, is to seek the minimum amount of punishment by getting the charge reduced to a lesser crime, obtaining probation or some other diversionary sentence, or convincing the judge to issue the minimum possible sentence. Louisiana criminal law is complicated. Without legal training and experience, you may find it difficult to navigate criminal laws and procedures, effectively negotiate for a plea bargain, and skillfully represent yourself before the judge or jury. A skillful lawyer can help you with all of these daunting tasks.
As an illustration, consider that there are many potential defenses that can be argued in a DUI/OUI case (assuming that the facts of your case support the given defense). One defense is to argue that the arresting officers did not have the lawful authority to pull your vehicle over. For an initial traffic stop to be lawful, the police officers must have actual probable cause or must have, at least, a reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed, is being committed, or will be committed in the near future. Talented Louisiana criminal defense attorneys can evaluate the facts of your case to determine whether there was a reasonable suspicion and/or probable cause for the initial stop. That evaluation can be difficult for a person without legal skills, knowledge, and training. If the initial traffic stop was unlawful, then all of the evidence collected after that is generally inadmissible.
Thus, if there are legal grounds, your aggressive Louisiana criminal defense lawyers will file a Motion to Suppress Evidence with the trial judge assigned to your case. Again, this can be difficult to do without a lawyer and if you have no legal knowledge. A good criminal defense attorney can also negotiate with the prosecuting attorneys. To get the case dropped or negotiated with a good plea bargain, the prosecuting attorney must be convinced that his or her case is weak – "weak" in the sense that it will be difficult for the prosecuting attorney to get a guilty verdict. A successful Motion To Suppress Evidence can seriously weaken the prosecutor's case, which can lead to the charges being dropped or to an excellent plea bargain. This illustrates why you can benefit from hiring an experienced Louisiana criminal defense lawyer for your DUI defense.
Contact A Louisiana Criminal Defense Attorney Today
For more information, contact the Law Offices of Philip B. Adams today. We are top-rated, relentless, and aggressive Louisiana criminal defense lawyers. Complete our "Contact Us" page here. We have the experience and legal knowledge that you need to help you with your criminal case. We have offices in Shreveport and handle criminal defense cases throughout all of Louisiana.