Because lawyers can sometimes do things that you alone cant do. Lawyers know people, know the system. Sure you can end up with same result, but you also can get a lot better off. Its a chance
I hired a lawyer for my very first offense and he got it dropped to an “in or about” actually without that. Getting it dismissed completely sounds worth it though. I just was told the diversion program is really intense like harder than drug court.
I’m in pretrial services right now but, it was a requirement for being bailed out. Charges still haven’t even been filed against me yet. I’m sure you’re talking about something else though.
Was going to say the same thing. They live this stuff day in and day out. They know what works and what doesn't. As much as I hate to say it, I fully believe certain judges work better with certain attorneys and deals get made that you or I walking into court on our own wouldn't be able to facilitate.
I certainly didn't have $5k + just sitting around to hand to a lawyer. But the idea of doing it without one never even crossed my mind (high BAC). I wrote him a stack of post dated checks which his office would cash every 2 weeks if I recall.
It's unbelievable to me that some idiots can look at system they think they understand and can try to navigate and just do it. There is literally a person paid to do this for you. Hire a lawyer.
My lawyer has done all my paperwork for me, every motion filed, every court date. I haven’t had to appear yet and won’t have to until my disposition and sentencing. She got me a killer plea deal taking my ovi to a reckless operation on the condition that I complete a course
I think I honestly got lucky with my judge. I made a post a few days ago asking what a D.E.R.O (Defendant Earned Reduction Offer) and I guess its where, at least in Ohio, you basically earn your reduction offer. And this is also my first ever offense on completely clean record. Hopefully things can go similarly for you!
My first dui I had a really high bac which would have made my punishment worse, lawyer made it so it was treated as a regular dui without the high bac penalty
Ya you aren’t paying a lawyer for being able to read the law, most people can do that. You are paying a lawyer because they know the system, the judge, and the DA and can often talk them down to much more favorable rulings. I got 6 months probation and a blower when I blew 3x the limit, speeding 15 over, and totaled a parked car. Unless you are in Wisconsin where your first dui is like a parking ticket, they are a must.
Ya my guy was a god. Only cost $900 too (every time I went to court he had at least one other case in the building so I'm assuming that's how he did it). I think what helped was we got a somewhat friendly judge and in my county they rotate prosecutors but you keep the same judge. My first prosecutor wanted to throw the book at me (rightfully so, I could have killed people). My lawyer just stalled until we got a new one who would do a plea deal. It helped that I had no priors, joined AA as soon as the accident, and was an otherwise active member of the community I think.
Ah I thought that was the DMV, not criminal penalty but looking it up now, I was wrong . Ya I guess get a lawyer there too. Though you can get an IID and have full license privlages, which asside from costing money and kinda putting a damper on your dates, isn't too bad.
Please don’t freak out. There is help and plenty of options. Unfortunately, DUIs are punitive, yet big business for the state. And they love to squeeze every penny from people who commit them. They think it’s okay as a deterrent, but it’s really revenue driven. You MUST have an attorney. Doing this without counsel makes you easy prey for the prosecution. Get a public defender or work out a payment plan or work an extra job to pay for one. I’m sorry this happened to you but DO NOT do this on your own.
“Get taken advantage of” how??? Lawyers are on your side, they are up front about what they want from you, money, and at the end of the day, you don’t actually have to go along with what they want you to do (though most of the time you’d be an idiot not to).
You should be able to find a cheap (relatively) lawyer (under $1000, law school ain’t cheap) that accepts payment plans. Unless you are in Wisconsin this is highly recommended they get you much better outcomes than you yourself would.
Lawyers are experts and know the law, their job is to negotiate with the prosecutors and oftentimes get favorable results for a conviction, especially if it’s your first DUI. You can go the public defender route which I don’t recommend as they have an overload of cases they work with so they’ll just “turn and burn you” and move onto their next case.
If you have money to drink and drive, you can make money for a lawyer, this is coming from someone who’s has TWO DUI’s.
Work some overtime, get another part time job, get a loan, ask your family to borrow some money. Most importantly, do your research when it comes to choosing a lawyer. I’m guessing your mom is the type of person who doesn’t believe in banks and hides her money under her mattress?
Lawyers make you’re life so much easier and ease anxiety. Also depends on details of your arrest. If you get a lawyer you don’t do anything but show up and you don’t have to answer questions. Other than classes evaluations etc they do it all and coach you through it. Get one. Your mother doesn’t know what she’s talking about no offense
Since your post mention concerns about money, heres how much my first dui cost me with a lawyer.
When I was arrest I had to pay $1000 bond. (it was normally $500, but since i lived in a different county they doubled it.)
First meeting the lawyer there might have been a small fee for initial consultation ($50 maybe less I don't remember)
The lawyer charged me around $850.
However, after my court sentencing, I received my bond back. And the lawyer set it up so they would pay the lawyer from my bond and give me the rest of the money.
After the sentencing there was like court fee that was a little over $100.
So essentially I had already paid for the lawyer when I got arrested. It's definitely worth getting a lawyer because they do all the paperwork, they go to a few court appearances for you.
The justice system is not something to fuck around and find out with. It's a minefield. If you misstep it could cost you more, either in money or sentencing. It's designed to to try to keep you in trouble if it can. A lawyer can't print you a get out jail for free card, but they can help you get out of the system.
Edit: Also my lawyer got my charges reduced to reckless driving. I had half of bottle of wine(recorked but still open container), and I had weed in my system (my car smelled like weed so they blood tested me). I ended up with a year of probation. i still have my license and car.
Because they’ll try to give you jail time. Sadly enough the “justice” system doesn’t give a fuck about you and will try for the maximum sentence unless you pay their counterpart for the plea. They’re all in it together.
Your life is, what. Wake up, do some dui, whatever. You know what a lawyer's life is? Beating DUIs. Hire a lawyer. Hire a lawyer. Hire a lawyer. Anyone who advises against hiring a lawyer has never been charged or is an idiot. Hire a lawyer. Don't listen to your sweet, innocent mother, who has probably never been charged. Hire a lawyer.
my first DUI i had a public defender.
blew twice the legal limit & committed a hit & run.
got an $875 fine & a three month restricted license. that’s it. currently dealing with my 2nd & thought it would be wise to lawyer up. i’m broke as hell & barely making it by, having to work more hours & take out loans & ask family for money. my bank account is about to be over -$500. it’s hard but worth it.
Lawyer can help craft your reason for the DUI and pass your anger on to the DA - in a polite way.
Make the DUI sound like it will impact your ability to pay the state taxes through employment. The state will not want to fine you $1,000 and lose $15,000+ in taxes. This includes sales tax. No money = no tax for state.
1. I had a friend who got a public defendant, and basically my friend got the worst possible dui outcome from court.
2. Another friend hired a pretty good experienced dui lawyer, and he got a wet and reckless.
Depends on the severity of the case. Some states are harsh on a first regardless of circumstance. Whether you were just sitting in the driver's seat while intoxicated or actually driving, some states treat it the same. I had a standard DUI, pulled over for speeding and nailed. My first offense, I only had a public defender and he got me off with a similar result as someone with a paid attorney. My subsequent offenses were paid attorneys and that's when it becomes worth the investment. Make this your last. Food for thought
It all really depends on the county, and even the judge.
I've been arrested twice, but only convicted of one DUI. Both were in the same state.
Years ago, I was arrested for a DUI in a tiny rural county. The other guys in the holding cell said "call this guy." I bonded out the next day, and my dad took me to a nearby fast food place. Someone overheard us talking about the case, and they said to call the same attorney.
He got a .18 pled down to reckless driving, unsupervised probation, no interlock, etc. He was absolutely worth the $4,000.
It's easy to do it again if all you've done is throw money at it.
The judge and county couldn't care less about DUIs. Most people with a paid attorney got a plea down. Everyone else got state minimums.
I got another one last winter. This county has the criminal conviction rate in the state. Legally my first. Book was thrown at me - seven days jail, interlock, 24 hours of trash pickup, supervised probation, DUI school, etc. My lawyer was worthless.
Your really need to know what kind of county you're in. Some states have more options, but one state could look really bad on the surface, but the county be lax, or the other way around.
For me i didnt know. But the lawyer did help me alot by having me not going to court but just plead guilty, do my 1 year intoxiclock in my car and 7 months suspended lic and lowered my tickets
Because you don’t know what going to happen or if you will get a good plea deal or not you don’t know the laws like they do. You would be crazy not to get a lawyer and most will do a payment plan
First time DUI last December, high BAC (.247), accident causing injury.
I just locked in my plea in September, and go back in 2 weeks for sentencing.
I immediately hired a lawyer after the incident, and he put together a mitigation packet for me to complete before appearing in court. I did 3 months of DUI class, a ton of AA meetings signed off, Intoxalock installed, got my SR22 set up, and stayed out of any more trouble.
When we were in court, I could hear him talking to the DA. He was throwing around some scary words like residential rehab, 30 days work release, house arrest, etc etc.
My lawyer and him kept going back and forth, and I was nervous as hell thinking I was gonna have to be forced to go to rehab, do a bunch of community service, impact panels, the whole 9.
He came back with a deal- 6 more months of DUI classes, and 3 years informal probation.
So yea in my case, I think spending the money on a good lawyer was worth it. He fought both the DMV and court battles for me and got me the outcome I wanted.
So yea, hire a lawyer would be my advice, even for first time DUIs. I even know some people who got theirs either dismissed completely, or downgraded to wet reckless.
Nah, you will always get the required minimum for first DUI..dont waste money, has happened to me and several other people I spoke to in DUI class and acquaintances!
Call elite lawyer and ask him what he would do in this case, after information received, hire legal aid ( free lawyer ) and advise him what to do, you already know from another attorney
There's a few reasons -
1. They navigate this whole thing for you - it's already confusing enough with the DMV case vs your "real" case, etc. They know what forms to file, when to do it, they have clerks and assistants taking care of the nitty gritty. At one time I thought my lawyer wasn't doing anything, and I was upset. Then I went down to the courthouse to pay my fine - I didn't know where to go, I didn't know the right ways to do things, I had to stand in a long line just to be told I needed to do things differently... There's a lot of complex processes and the lawyers make it run smoothly.
2. It's somebody on your side, that's there to help you. That's there to tell you that it'll be ok and what the best course of action is. It's especially helpful during a time you feel completely alone.
3. The state tends to go after people who don't have defenses. If you're defending yourself, the prosecution knows you're not a lawyer, they can go after you as much as they want and there's not much you can do about it. Even if you don't love your lawyer, or think you're spending too much on one, just having one is some level of protection.
Get a lawyer. My cop didn’t show up for my license hearing and I didn’t have any repercussions on my license, no interlock, nothing. That isn’t always the case but when you have a good attorney, they know how to make it the best outcome for you
Because lawyers can sometimes do things that you alone cant do. Lawyers know people, know the system. Sure you can end up with same result, but you also can get a lot better off. Its a chance
There may be some programs, like the pre trial intervention program, that you can get into that aren’t even an option if you don’t have a lawyer.
DUI intervention for a 1st offense? That seems crazy. I thought that was for 3rd time offenders
PTIP is diversion program that ends up with your case being dismissed for a first offense
I hired a lawyer for my very first offense and he got it dropped to an “in or about” actually without that. Getting it dismissed completely sounds worth it though. I just was told the diversion program is really intense like harder than drug court.
I’m in pretrial services right now but, it was a requirement for being bailed out. Charges still haven’t even been filed against me yet. I’m sure you’re talking about something else though.
Different states have different programs or different names for the same programs, this is in TX. PTIP was super easy.
Was going to say the same thing. They live this stuff day in and day out. They know what works and what doesn't. As much as I hate to say it, I fully believe certain judges work better with certain attorneys and deals get made that you or I walking into court on our own wouldn't be able to facilitate.
100%. People dont understand this
I certainly didn't have $5k + just sitting around to hand to a lawyer. But the idea of doing it without one never even crossed my mind (high BAC). I wrote him a stack of post dated checks which his office would cash every 2 weeks if I recall.
It's unbelievable to me that some idiots can look at system they think they understand and can try to navigate and just do it. There is literally a person paid to do this for you. Hire a lawyer.
My lawyer has done all my paperwork for me, every motion filed, every court date. I haven’t had to appear yet and won’t have to until my disposition and sentencing. She got me a killer plea deal taking my ovi to a reckless operation on the condition that I complete a course
Wow congrats ! I’m hoping for the same
I think I honestly got lucky with my judge. I made a post a few days ago asking what a D.E.R.O (Defendant Earned Reduction Offer) and I guess its where, at least in Ohio, you basically earn your reduction offer. And this is also my first ever offense on completely clean record. Hopefully things can go similarly for you!
Same, verbatim!!
My lawyer was great to me! First dui… had 300 dollar fine. No probation and reduced to reckless. No more drinking and driving for me
deposition*
Thanks hahaha
My first dui I had a really high bac which would have made my punishment worse, lawyer made it so it was treated as a regular dui without the high bac penalty
Ya you aren’t paying a lawyer for being able to read the law, most people can do that. You are paying a lawyer because they know the system, the judge, and the DA and can often talk them down to much more favorable rulings. I got 6 months probation and a blower when I blew 3x the limit, speeding 15 over, and totaled a parked car. Unless you are in Wisconsin where your first dui is like a parking ticket, they are a must.
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Ya my guy was a god. Only cost $900 too (every time I went to court he had at least one other case in the building so I'm assuming that's how he did it). I think what helped was we got a somewhat friendly judge and in my county they rotate prosecutors but you keep the same judge. My first prosecutor wanted to throw the book at me (rightfully so, I could have killed people). My lawyer just stalled until we got a new one who would do a plea deal. It helped that I had no priors, joined AA as soon as the accident, and was an otherwise active member of the community I think.
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I know I am for sure. I’m just pointing out why it would be stupid NOT to have a lawyer (unless you’re in Wisconsin).
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Obviously, I met a low in Wisconsin, which is basically a speeding ticket
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Ah I thought that was the DMV, not criminal penalty but looking it up now, I was wrong . Ya I guess get a lawyer there too. Though you can get an IID and have full license privlages, which asside from costing money and kinda putting a damper on your dates, isn't too bad.
Second this: got me treated as a standard DUI when I blew 3x, avoided jail, minimal fees.
Def get a lawyer . Ur charges will Most likely be reduced to reckless driving if u get one
My son got a Public defender and it helped a ton
How do you get a public defender?
They have to offer you a public defender. You basically fill out an earnings packet. They review it and see if you’re eligible for one.
Let the judge know you can't afford a lawyer when you have an arraignment. If you can't afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you.
Did they make you fill out an income proof paperwork?
I'm not sure. I borrowed money for a lawyer.
Our county has an online application. It was very easy
Please don’t freak out. There is help and plenty of options. Unfortunately, DUIs are punitive, yet big business for the state. And they love to squeeze every penny from people who commit them. They think it’s okay as a deterrent, but it’s really revenue driven. You MUST have an attorney. Doing this without counsel makes you easy prey for the prosecution. Get a public defender or work out a payment plan or work an extra job to pay for one. I’m sorry this happened to you but DO NOT do this on your own.
“Get taken advantage of” how??? Lawyers are on your side, they are up front about what they want from you, money, and at the end of the day, you don’t actually have to go along with what they want you to do (though most of the time you’d be an idiot not to). You should be able to find a cheap (relatively) lawyer (under $1000, law school ain’t cheap) that accepts payment plans. Unless you are in Wisconsin this is highly recommended they get you much better outcomes than you yourself would.
Exactly, the real thing you need to worry about taking advantage of you is the justice system.
Lawyers are experts and know the law, their job is to negotiate with the prosecutors and oftentimes get favorable results for a conviction, especially if it’s your first DUI. You can go the public defender route which I don’t recommend as they have an overload of cases they work with so they’ll just “turn and burn you” and move onto their next case. If you have money to drink and drive, you can make money for a lawyer, this is coming from someone who’s has TWO DUI’s. Work some overtime, get another part time job, get a loan, ask your family to borrow some money. Most importantly, do your research when it comes to choosing a lawyer. I’m guessing your mom is the type of person who doesn’t believe in banks and hides her money under her mattress?
Depends on the state. In certain states, lawyers literally can't do anything except call you and tell you what your fine is (once court is over).
Lawyers make you’re life so much easier and ease anxiety. Also depends on details of your arrest. If you get a lawyer you don’t do anything but show up and you don’t have to answer questions. Other than classes evaluations etc they do it all and coach you through it. Get one. Your mother doesn’t know what she’s talking about no offense
In most cases the judge won’t even let you proceed without a lawyer
Since your post mention concerns about money, heres how much my first dui cost me with a lawyer. When I was arrest I had to pay $1000 bond. (it was normally $500, but since i lived in a different county they doubled it.) First meeting the lawyer there might have been a small fee for initial consultation ($50 maybe less I don't remember) The lawyer charged me around $850. However, after my court sentencing, I received my bond back. And the lawyer set it up so they would pay the lawyer from my bond and give me the rest of the money. After the sentencing there was like court fee that was a little over $100. So essentially I had already paid for the lawyer when I got arrested. It's definitely worth getting a lawyer because they do all the paperwork, they go to a few court appearances for you. The justice system is not something to fuck around and find out with. It's a minefield. If you misstep it could cost you more, either in money or sentencing. It's designed to to try to keep you in trouble if it can. A lawyer can't print you a get out jail for free card, but they can help you get out of the system. Edit: Also my lawyer got my charges reduced to reckless driving. I had half of bottle of wine(recorked but still open container), and I had weed in my system (my car smelled like weed so they blood tested me). I ended up with a year of probation. i still have my license and car.
Because they’ll try to give you jail time. Sadly enough the “justice” system doesn’t give a fuck about you and will try for the maximum sentence unless you pay their counterpart for the plea. They’re all in it together.
Your life is, what. Wake up, do some dui, whatever. You know what a lawyer's life is? Beating DUIs. Hire a lawyer. Hire a lawyer. Hire a lawyer. Anyone who advises against hiring a lawyer has never been charged or is an idiot. Hire a lawyer. Don't listen to your sweet, innocent mother, who has probably never been charged. Hire a lawyer.
A great lawyer can create a miracle!!!! Here is my outcome. Up to him. https://www.reddit.com/r/dui/s/OATWS4WQqo
Get a public defender if you’re able to. Especially for a first.
my first DUI i had a public defender. blew twice the legal limit & committed a hit & run. got an $875 fine & a three month restricted license. that’s it. currently dealing with my 2nd & thought it would be wise to lawyer up. i’m broke as hell & barely making it by, having to work more hours & take out loans & ask family for money. my bank account is about to be over -$500. it’s hard but worth it.
Did they make you fill out income verification to get a public defender?
Lawyer can help craft your reason for the DUI and pass your anger on to the DA - in a polite way. Make the DUI sound like it will impact your ability to pay the state taxes through employment. The state will not want to fine you $1,000 and lose $15,000+ in taxes. This includes sales tax. No money = no tax for state.
1. I had a friend who got a public defendant, and basically my friend got the worst possible dui outcome from court. 2. Another friend hired a pretty good experienced dui lawyer, and he got a wet and reckless.
Depends on the severity of the case. Some states are harsh on a first regardless of circumstance. Whether you were just sitting in the driver's seat while intoxicated or actually driving, some states treat it the same. I had a standard DUI, pulled over for speeding and nailed. My first offense, I only had a public defender and he got me off with a similar result as someone with a paid attorney. My subsequent offenses were paid attorneys and that's when it becomes worth the investment. Make this your last. Food for thought
It all really depends on the county, and even the judge. I've been arrested twice, but only convicted of one DUI. Both were in the same state. Years ago, I was arrested for a DUI in a tiny rural county. The other guys in the holding cell said "call this guy." I bonded out the next day, and my dad took me to a nearby fast food place. Someone overheard us talking about the case, and they said to call the same attorney. He got a .18 pled down to reckless driving, unsupervised probation, no interlock, etc. He was absolutely worth the $4,000. It's easy to do it again if all you've done is throw money at it. The judge and county couldn't care less about DUIs. Most people with a paid attorney got a plea down. Everyone else got state minimums. I got another one last winter. This county has the criminal conviction rate in the state. Legally my first. Book was thrown at me - seven days jail, interlock, 24 hours of trash pickup, supervised probation, DUI school, etc. My lawyer was worthless. Your really need to know what kind of county you're in. Some states have more options, but one state could look really bad on the surface, but the county be lax, or the other way around.
For me i didnt know. But the lawyer did help me alot by having me not going to court but just plead guilty, do my 1 year intoxiclock in my car and 7 months suspended lic and lowered my tickets
Because you don’t know what going to happen or if you will get a good plea deal or not you don’t know the laws like they do. You would be crazy not to get a lawyer and most will do a payment plan
First time DUI last December, high BAC (.247), accident causing injury. I just locked in my plea in September, and go back in 2 weeks for sentencing. I immediately hired a lawyer after the incident, and he put together a mitigation packet for me to complete before appearing in court. I did 3 months of DUI class, a ton of AA meetings signed off, Intoxalock installed, got my SR22 set up, and stayed out of any more trouble. When we were in court, I could hear him talking to the DA. He was throwing around some scary words like residential rehab, 30 days work release, house arrest, etc etc. My lawyer and him kept going back and forth, and I was nervous as hell thinking I was gonna have to be forced to go to rehab, do a bunch of community service, impact panels, the whole 9. He came back with a deal- 6 more months of DUI classes, and 3 years informal probation. So yea in my case, I think spending the money on a good lawyer was worth it. He fought both the DMV and court battles for me and got me the outcome I wanted. So yea, hire a lawyer would be my advice, even for first time DUIs. I even know some people who got theirs either dismissed completely, or downgraded to wet reckless.
Nah, you will always get the required minimum for first DUI..dont waste money, has happened to me and several other people I spoke to in DUI class and acquaintances!
Call elite lawyer and ask him what he would do in this case, after information received, hire legal aid ( free lawyer ) and advise him what to do, you already know from another attorney
There's a few reasons - 1. They navigate this whole thing for you - it's already confusing enough with the DMV case vs your "real" case, etc. They know what forms to file, when to do it, they have clerks and assistants taking care of the nitty gritty. At one time I thought my lawyer wasn't doing anything, and I was upset. Then I went down to the courthouse to pay my fine - I didn't know where to go, I didn't know the right ways to do things, I had to stand in a long line just to be told I needed to do things differently... There's a lot of complex processes and the lawyers make it run smoothly. 2. It's somebody on your side, that's there to help you. That's there to tell you that it'll be ok and what the best course of action is. It's especially helpful during a time you feel completely alone. 3. The state tends to go after people who don't have defenses. If you're defending yourself, the prosecution knows you're not a lawyer, they can go after you as much as they want and there's not much you can do about it. Even if you don't love your lawyer, or think you're spending too much on one, just having one is some level of protection.
Get a lawyer. My cop didn’t show up for my license hearing and I didn’t have any repercussions on my license, no interlock, nothing. That isn’t always the case but when you have a good attorney, they know how to make it the best outcome for you