Michigan DUI Handbook
How to Hire a Michigan DUI Lawyer
Hiring the Right Michigan DUI Lawyer
If you have been released from DUI custody and have a date schedule for your next court appearance, the police agencies and court system will be busy preparing your paperwork, determining your proper charge, and getting ready for your initial arraignment date, which is typically either printed or handwritten on your original ticket.
During this time period, individuals facing these charges have three options:
- Try and handle their case by themselves and speak with a skilled prosecutor on their own
- Ask the court for a public defender
- Retain a Michigan DUI lawyer to represent them at every proceeding in their case.
We do not have to probably go into too much detail why the first two are simply not options…but here we go.
Tell Us About Your Case
Self Representation
If you try to handle this case on your own, you run the risk of being subjected to the maximum consequences for your action. You may feel that you deserve this due to your stupid actions that night, your embarrassment, and the scorn of friends and family. However, you have many rights in your DUI case as we have laid out in this handbook. The only way to protect those rights is to hire an attorney that knows the law and the court system you are in.
Do you know…
- What to do to get a reduction in your charges and protect your license?
- Do you know who to see for a substance abuse assessment that can maximize the negotiations in your case?
- Do you know how to interact with the prosecuting attorney that will be assigned to your case that day?
- Do you know their tendencies and what “pushes their buttons” to either offer favorable plea deals or force a plea to the original charges.
- Do you know that many prosecutors will have policies that are placed on them from the politician chief prosecutor elected by the people of the county?
- Is your blood alcohol level such that you are on the borderline of one of these deals?
- What happens if you say the wrong thing in front of the judge or prosecutor and your case is damaged to the point that it cannot be revived by a local attorney?
All of these and more are possible if you try to handle this on your own. We liken this to trying to change your own brakes. We are not talking about jacking your car up in your garage and changing brake pads, we are talking about full rotors, brake pads and other adjustments.
We would leave this to the professionals at a brake repair shop knowing that we have to stop properly to protect ourselves, others and the passengers in our vehicle. You need to pay the price to have a professional by your side at EVERY court hearing, proceeding, or out-of-court appointment during your case.
The Public Defender
The problem with a court appointed DUI Lawyer is that many court systems will NOT appoint an attorney to represent you on a first offense drunk driving case. Why? Because there is typically not any jail time ordered for a first offender. I find a great deal of difficulty with this logic as there are many factors that can play into a first offense drunk driving case.
The person may have an alcohol problem and needs treatment immediately, the lack of which could lead to bond violations and time in jail to remain sober. The person faces a massive amount of Michigan DUI penalties for a second offense and many times the time to fight a case IS the first offense.
A person may desperately need their license and the 30 day mandatory suspension for an OWI could cost them their entire career. These are things not even taken into consideration by most courts due to limited budgets. This leaves your only option at looking for an attorney
Why Should I Hire a Michigan DUI Lawyer?
You and your family must weigh all of the options when deciding whether or not to hire an attorney to protect your interests. A privately retained lawyer will be best suited to answer all of your questions, make sure you are protected at every hearing, and maximize your outcome in accordance with Michigan DUI laws.
Free Michigan DUI Consultation
Get a risk free, no obligation review of your DUI case from an attorney that concentrates their practice on Michigan DUI defense.
During this free telephone consultation, you will find out the following:
- A detailed overview of the court process in your jurisdiction
- Exactly how much your DUI defense will cost
- Why our law firm is uniquely qualified to handle your DUI case
Call our Michigan DUI Hotline at (616) 502-1646
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1-616-502-1646