How many times has this happened? You’re driving somewhere late at night, you’ve had a few drinks and you notice the flashing blue lights in your rearview mirror, so you brace yourself to be pulled over, but instead the police car behind you simply passes you and probably proceeds to a crime or accident scene somewhere else.
You mop the sweat off your brow because you realize that it easily could have been a traffic stop for you that would not have turned out so well. In fact, depending on how much you’ve had to drink, it could have turned out pretty badly, because driving under the influence charges in most states carry with them some pretty heavy penalties that will cost you plenty of cash and could even land you in the pokey.
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What’s Even Worse
Worse still, if you had gotten into an accident while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you’d face possible criminal charges, and perhaps have the injury of another person on your conscience. Driving under the influence is a charge that you always want to avoid, of course, and probably the best way to do that is to simply never drive after you’ve had some alcohol. In a perfect world this could be standard operating procedure, but sometimes you break the rules a little, and that could one day be a choice that will land you in a lot of trouble.
If you have been stopped on a driving under the influence charge, however, you’ll want to seek out good legal counsel, such as a DUI lawyer in Newport Beach. It’s important that, first of all, you don’t try to handle the case yourself, because you’ve heard the old saying: An attorney who represents himself has a fool for a client. So it’s important that you leave the handling of your case to the professionals.
You Might Have No Idea
You may not totally realize how much is at stake when you appear in court to face a charge of operating under the influence, but it will soon become apparent when the bills and penalties start rolling in. You’re going to have to shell out a lot of cash in court costs, legal fees and penalties before you get through. You’re probably going to have to pay for alcohol counseling and other assorted services, as well, so it’s important that you realize that having good representation can make a great deal of difference to you financially.
If you have a good DUI lawyer in Southern California representing you, it’s much more likely that the ultimate costs can be kept to a minimum, and that’s going to be extremely important for you as your case progresses.
Find experienced help that can guide you through the DUI court procedures, and you’ll be glad that you did.
Eric Blair writes about car accidents that result from driving under influence. There are professionals at Parker Law Center who can help with a dui case.