Driving under influence is considered a crime in every state. Getting arrested under DWI charges is not a good record for anyone. It’s a fact that society loathes this act. Engaging in harmful acts or jeopardizing other’s well-being for apparently no reason is always looked down on. Thus, it’s best if you never give anyone a reason for a DWI arrest.
In case you find yourself in such a situation, it is imperative to know that a DWI arrest is handled by the criminal court. As per law, the accused has a right to represent themselves, hire a private lawyer, or can get a public defender appointed by the court.
Deciding whether to represent yourself, hire a private lawyer, or get a public defender appointed by the court.
It is difficult to understand the intricacies of a DUI case or how to m in a DWI case for someone with no legal knowledge or practice. Therefore, most of the time defendants either choose to hire a private lawyer or get a public defender by the court for representing them.
There are a few cases when hiring an attorney may not be worth it. For example, in cases of first-offense plea “standard first DUI” charges are offered to the defendant regardless of who represents them. These charges may be acceptable in few cases whereas in some experienced DUI attorneys may be able to whittle down the charges. Thus, getting an experienced DUI lawyer’s advice before making a choice is a pretty good idea. Most DUI lawyers are even willing to provide free advice. But even paying a small fee for good advice is usually money well spent.
Having the court appoint a public defender
As per law, everyone has a right to an attorney and in case someone can’t afford one, they can ask the court for one. These appointed attorneys are usually from the public defender’s office.
Since public defenders handle a lot of cases, they are very experienced and also have the advantage of being well-acquainted with the local judges and lawyers. Though, due to the same reasoning in a lot of cases, there may be dissatisfaction from the defendant for less time and attention paid to the case. Moreover, one can’t choose their public defender and has to accept the one allotted to them.
The public attorney is also not responsible for DMV proceedings which the defendant needs to deal with on their own.
Hiring a private lawyer
Disregarding the cost, hiring a private lawyer is usually seen as a much better option. Advantages of hiring a private lawyer include more one on one time, having all your questions answered, having the ability to choose, and lesser time spent in court.
A private lawyer can be hired to work on both aspects of a DUI case—DMV proceedings and criminal court— that may lead to better outcomes. Having the ability to choose the lawyer to represent yourself is often a much better option than having a random one. A specialized DWI defense lawyer may have defenses and understanding that others may not lead to a better plea bargain or even dismissal of the charges. The most lucrative advantage about a private lawyer is the minimal time spent in court as with a private counsel, few routine court appearances can be skipped unlike with the public defender.
The only disadvantage of hiring a private lawyer is the cost associated. Hiring one is expensive and there may be cases where hiring one may not help you achieve a more favorable outcome compared to being represented by a public defender, which is completely free.
Representing yourself
With the option of having the court appoint a public defender free of cost, representing yourself is viewed as a very bad idea. Since usual people lack legal knowledge and trial skills, even the judges don’t view people representing themselves in court favorably. And the final decisions on such cases usually are much worse compared to having a public defender or a private lawyer.
