There are many laws in the United States that make certain acts illegal, often with the expressed interest in protecting money, property, and human life. Activity that threatens one or more of these things, or others, can quickly lead to an arrest and criminal charges. When someone is charged with a crime such as a DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol), this person may make use of criminal law and form a criminal case defense with a lawyer. A criminal defense law firm can be contacted if a person faces charges such as DUI, for example, as the outcome of a DUI court appearance may be highly undesirable otherwise. Forming a criminal case defense with a lawyer may mean much better odds of a more favorable outcome (although nothing is being guaranteed here), and a trustworthy criminal defense lawyer can do a lot of work. What are some of the major statistics about DUI or other forms of impaired driving? What are some rights that an accused person can make use of while forming a criminal case defense with his or her lawyer?
Driving Impaired
Across the United States, it is strictly illegal to operate a motor vehicle such as a car or truck while impaired by drugs or alcohol, although this still happens quite often. The results of such incidents can clearly illustrate why these laws are in place, as tragic loss of life can happen. In fact, some statistics show that every two minutes, someone somewhere in the United States is killed in a drunk driving crash, such as pedestrians or other car drivers. Even victims who are not killed may be injured, and they may pursue litigation against the at-fault party’s insurance company with the aid of a personal injury lawyer. Or, the family of someone killed in a car crash may even sue the drink driver directly. These are all possibilities to look out for.
Every day, nearly 300,000 drunk driving incidents occur, but fewer than 4,000 arrests are actually made. This should not be taken to mean that a tipsy driver should try their luck, however, as this is highly illegal and dangerous behavior whether or not a police or state trooper sees it. Drunk drivers have impaired judgment, coordination, and reflexes, which at best makes them drive erratically and run red lights and stop signs. And at worst, a drunk driver may hit property, another vehicle, or a pedestrian, and people may get injured or killed because of this. In fact, it is illegal to drive with a BAC (blood alcohol content) of 0.08% or higher, even if no crash occurs at all. Police officers can often spot a drunk driver from their erratic and sloppy vehicle handling, and such a driver, if spotted, will be quickly pulled over and arrested. Drivers who are impaired due to the use of other drugs may also be spotted, pursued, and pulled over. If this happens, what should the arrested individual expect, and what options do they have?
Building a Criminal Case Defense
The American criminal justice system is broad and complex, but to put it simply, an accused has a number of options that they may pursue, and some laws old and new can work for them. The sixth amendment, dating back to the late 1700s, provides for the right of legal representation for criminal defendants, as well as the rights to a speedy trial and to confront witnesses. Similarly, the eighth amendment gives the right to a reasonable bail and protection from cruel and unusual punishment.
Someone who needs to launch their criminal case defense before their trial can look to criminal defense law firms, especially those that specialize in the accused’s particular crime, such as DUI. In this case, an accused can get consultations from the lawyers who work there (this may or may not incur a fee) and hire a lawyer whose skills, experience, and success rate are to the client’s liking. The lawyer can then argue his or her client’s case in court, often to lower the sentence or even have some or all charges dropped (to restate, nothing is being guaranteed here). Jail time may be replaced with community service or mandatory rehab, for example.