Hundreds of DUI Lawyers – How to Select One
Mistakes or poor choices are in the DNA of our lives. We are not perfect every day of our lives. You may have partied just a little too hard one night and decided to drive yourself home. Not the best idea you have ever had. You encounter a DUI checkpoint or worse a police office notices you weaving in and out of your lane. The office stops you and before you know it you are going through the field sobriety test and in the back of the police car in handcuffs. Your rights are at stake. Your freedom is in jeopardy. Financially you could be paying for this mistake for years. You need an advocate to fight for you and minimize the impact of the arrest.
A quick google search for a DUI lawyer in the Maryland area yields approximately 1.8 million search results. Obviously, these results do not equal the number lawyers available, but it gives you an idea of how many lawyers are out there. It goes beyond the first advertising you see on the page. Beyond the first couple of names and phone numbers you find on what is known as the google places/local pack. There are a hundreds if not a thousand or more choices in terms of personal injury lawyers especially if you live in or near a large metropolitan area. So how do you choose who will help you with your personal injury claim?
Differentiating between DUI Lawyers and Part-Timers
If you are a first time offender who blew just above the legal limit of .08, maybe you can probably take the risk with a part-timer who does the occasional DUI case. For those facing their 2nd or 3rd DUI charge or cases involving injuries to third parties, you definitely need an experience attorney to work with you. The penalties both in increased jailed time and financial costs demand you take it very seriously. If you are in the latter category, then you need to pay attention to the rest of this article and good luck with choosing your DUI lawyer.
Experience with DUI Cases in the City or County you live in.
DUI defense lawyers deal with prosecutors also known as Assistant States Attorneys and judges on a regular basis. The relationships and familiarity come in handy in knowing what a particular Assistant States Attorney is likely do. The same goes for the judge. We may all believe the law is blind and to a degree it is, but judges have great discretion as long as they stay within the law and constitutional boundaries. Judges are tasked with establishing the appropriate punishment for the crime. For example, you can appear in front of two judges within the same court with the same facts and get different results for the same offense. Experienced DUI lawyers are more likely to be familiar with the ASAs and judges and vice versa. Just like in civil case, experience handling cases and working with the other side plays a role in plea negotiations. If the prosecutors know and respect the lawyer they are more likely to go along with a favorable plea deal if the facts warrant it.
The Lawyer Knows The Area of Law
Experienced DUI lawyers are familiar with the law and keep up to date with changes which someone doing it on a part-time basis may not be doing. The cumulative experience and knowledge is an asset than can be deployed in every case and gives you an edge.
Being Able to Talk About Injuries and their Impact
Lawyers who focus in personal injury cases review hundreds of medical reports and talk to several medical experts from physical therapists, nurse practitioners to physician specialists in any given year. Therefore, they talk legal almost as well as they talk doc. It is important because you need to break down diagnosis in ways that a judge and jury can understand. Just throwing complex medical terms before a jury may leave them confused and not able to connect with the experience of the injured plaintiff. This connection is critical to obtaining maximum compensation.
Trial Tested
Just like a personal injury lawyer who is not afraid of going to trial can use that ability to achieve a favorable financial settlement so can DUI lawyers. If the prosecutor knows the lawyer is ready to trial a case if the facts warrant it, he or she will take that into while considering whether to accept a plea offer.
Rapport
While hard to quantify or identify, rapport with your one lawyer out of all DUI lawyers available to you may be important to you. Remember this is the person you are trusting to understand your case, concerns and impact on your life. You will need to work in cooperative manner and be able to communicate effectively. Sometime personalities clash and can make for a difficult working relationship. In addition, how accessible is your criminal lawyer? Can you get a phone call returned in a decent amount of time? Or do you only speak with administrative assistants? If you prefer a more personal approach it is best to state that in the beginning to avoid frustrations later.
Sometimes, in the criminal law setting you may not have the time to engage in deep analysis of each potential lawyer, but if you do hopefully these ideas will help.
If you have a question do not hesitate to contact me at 410-849-9529 or jgithuku@410law.com
