Friday, 27 April 2012

If you need a Charleston DUI lawyer, then you are probably looking at hiring a lawyer or using a public defender. Driving under the influence, or drunk driving, means that you were caught driving a motorized vehicle while you had a blood alcohol level that exceeded the legal limits. This also applies to any other drug that may affect your ability to safely operate a car.

If you are accused of DUI in Charleston, SC, the first thing you need to do is to secure a Charleston DUI attorney. These are, most commonly, a criminal defense lawyer. Your DUI lawyer can be appointed by the state or county in which you were arrested, or you may be appointed a federal lawyer.

However, the most important phase of your defense actually occurs before you are charged. The prosecution will present their case to the court to have you charged for DUI, and at that time, if you have a good DUI lawyer, you can contest the charge. If your lawyer is successful, you will never be charged. No charges filed means no crime.

This is why it is so important to hire a DUI attorney as soon as you are arrested. Your attorney will immediately investigate the arrest. He will also have access to all information that is collected during the prosecution’s criminal investigation, and he will have a say over whether or not any criminal charges in the past can be brought forward. With enough lead time to your court date, your DUI lawyer may be able to put together a case that will negate the evidence of the prosecution. When this happens, you will not be charged with DUI.

The public defenders provided by the government, will not have time to be there on the spot, since they represent everybody. Your best bet is to hire a DUI lawyer.