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Top Ten DUI Mistakes

1. Not hiring an attorney. An experienced attorney will be able to challenge the evidence in your case.  Even if you plan on entering a plea, an attorney will be able to negotiate a more favorable sentence.
2. Not hiring an experienced DUI Defense Lawyer.  Every lawyer has different levels of specialty.  An experienced DUI attorney knows how to challenge the types of evidence that are unique to DUI law.
3. Not hiring an experienced DUI Defense Attorney immediately after you’ve been arrested or charged with Drunk Driving.  If you wait to hire an attorney, you may jeopardize your chances of getting the right result.  With the passage of time, memories fade, the scene of the incident changes, and exculpatory evidence disappears.
4. Not realizing that the police have no obligation to be honest with you.  In other words, the police can lie to you.
5. Not challenging the first offer made by the District Attorney’s Office.  The Commonwealth wants to dispose of your case as quickly as possible.  Don’t let them treat you like another statistic.
6. Not having a preliminary hearing.  The preliminary hearing (prelim) is a very important opportunity to get the first crack at discovery and to test the strengths and weaknesses of the Commonwealth’s case against you.
7. Not challenging the validity of the traffic stop or DUI checkpoint.  The police must follow the rules, too.
8. Not challenging the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs).  The police would have you believe that the SFSTs are simply pass or fail…It’s not that simple!
9. Not challenging the chemical test results.  There are procedures that must be followed to ensure that the results are accurate and admissible in court proceedings.
10. Not caring about your case.  The defense of your case is a team effort.  If you want the best result, you need to actively participate in your own case.

When a DUI case goes wrong, you can usually trace the mistake back to a core set of common errors. Read on to learn more about these common DUI mistakes.

1. Not hiring an attorney.

An experienced attorney will be able to challenge the evidence in your case.  Even if you plan on entering a plea or accepting an ARD offer, an attorney will be able to negotiate a more favorable sentence.

2. Not hiring an experienced DUI Defense Lawyer.

Every lawyer has different areas of specialty and levels of experience.  The best DUI attorneys know how to challenge the types of evidence that are unique to DUI cases because they have been handling a lot of cases and stay on top of the latest changes in the law and scientific developments.

3. Not hiring an experienced DUI Defense Attorney immediately after you’ve been arrested or charged with drunk driving.

If you wait to hire an attorney, you may jeopardize your chances of getting the right result.  With the passage of time, memories fade, the scene of the incident changes, and exculpatory evidence disappears.

4. Not realizing that the police have no obligation to be honest with you.

In other words, the police can lie to you.

5. Not thinking through the first offer made by the District Attorney’s Office.

The Commonwealth wants to dispose of your case as quickly as possible. While the first offer can sometimes be the best offer, you always want to try to see what other options are available. It’s also important to know when you should accept the first offer. In many cases, rejecting an ARD offer is cutting off your nose to spite your face. An experienced DUI lawyer will know the very limited circumstances when you should reject an ARD offer.

6. Not having a preliminary hearing.

The preliminary hearing (prelim) is a very important opportunity to get the first crack at discovery and to test the strengths and weaknesses of the Commonwealth’s case against you.

7. Not challenging the validity of the traffic stop or DUI checkpoint.

The police have to follow the rules, too.

8. Not challenging the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs).

The police want you to think that the field sobriety tests are simply pass or fail…It’s not that simple.

9. Not challenging the chemical test results.

There are procedures that the police have to follow to ensure that the results are accurate and admissible in court proceedings.

10. Not caring about your own case.

Defending your case is a team effort.  If you want the best result, you have to actively participate in your own case.

If you’re facing a DUI case, contact Bickerton Law at (412) 596-8124 to discuss your options.