Defending You Against Drunk Driving Charges
Every year, a substantial number of people in Utah are charged with drunk driving, and every year, many of those people lose out on important opportunities to defend themselves against the consequences of a DUI conviction. It is important to take these matters seriously because a conviction will be on your record for 10 years and any subsequent offenses may be enhanced to a felony charge.
At Esplin | Weight, we understand that DUI defense is often more complicated than it might initially seem. You need an aggressive and experienced attorney to help you avoid or reduce drunk driving charges. We can represent you in an administrative hearing and we are not afraid to take your case to trial. Contact us at our offices in Provo to schedule a free initial consultation about your DUI case.
Seeking to Avoid License Suspension and Criminal Conviction
Many people who are charged with DUI are not aware that almost every DUI defense case in Utah goes through two separate stages: a driver's license hearing stage and a criminal prosecution. Our attorneys will make sure you have the opportunity to assert your rights at each of these stages. In fact, the administrative hearing is very important because it gives you an opportunity to question the police officer about the DUI stop and arrest.
The sooner you retain an attorney the better. With a DUI charge, you may lose your license for 60 days, 90 days, one year or even longer, before you ever step into a courtroom. By obtaining legal representation sooner, you may increase you odds of beating the charges and minimizing any license suspension.
If you have been arrested for drunk driving, you have a 10-day window to request a hearing at the state Driver License Division. If you do not request a hearing, you will automatically lose your license for at least 90 days.
In the criminal case, if you are found guilty, you will face additional consequences. Your driver's license suspension may be extended further into the future, and every DUI conviction — even for a first offense — carries a minimum jail sentence.
Taking Immediate Steps to Protect Your Rights
If you want to fight a DUI charge, it is important to hire an experienced defense lawyer. By taking the right steps early in your case, your attorney can increase your chances of success further down the line and prevent the police or prosecutors from taking advantage of you.
For instance, if a field sobriety test was used to establish probable cause to arrest you for DUI, a good attorney will immediately request all the details of the test and begin assessing whether it was done correctly. By contesting field sobriety tests at the driver's license hearing, we are often able to avoid the criminal charges entirely or at least set a good precedent for the criminal case.
To learn more about how the experienced and aggressive attorneys at Esplin | Weight can help you protect your rights in a DUI case, contact us today.
