Whether you are a college student or a fully-established adult, you are never too young or too old to find yourself arrested for a DUI for the first time. But once you’re arrested, what happens?

There are a lot of moving components to DUI law and especially first-offense DUI. Despite the myriad complications that can arise, many people believe that a first-offense is simple enough that they can handle it themselves. That isn’t the case. You want to have:

Experience

When you look at the text of the law, it outlines the charge and the penalties. However, those basic circumstances make up exactly half of the legal process. The other half is representation. If you try to represent yourself, you will be at the mercy of the court and the prosecution. Your outcome will certainly be out of your control. Having any attorney at all would be better than no attorney.

But just because an attorney can represent you, doesn’t mean they are the best option. For a similar fee, you could find an attorney with decades of experience defending much more severe DUI offenses who may be able to get you a better outcome.

Aggression

There is no advantage to playing nice when it comes to DUI charges. You should look for an attorney who will fight them aggressively questioning every aspect of your charge:

• The arrest: Was there probable cause to pull you over?
• The evidence: When was the blood test taken? Was the breathalyzer accurate?
• The police: Did the arresting officer treat you fairly?
• The entire case: Was every part of your DUI charge handled perfectly by the authorities?

Your attorney should leave no stone unturned in your defense.

Success

How do you measure success? Is it a dismissal? Is it a clean record? What are you looking for? Choosing an attorney with the experience to know how to fight your charge and the aggressive tactics to achieve the result you want is the best possible chance you have for your success.