You screwed up. You decided to do something stupid for some reason, and it ended up getting you arrested and charged with a crime. Not only are you nervous about what the outcome means (possible jail time, possible fines, if it’s a DUI possible loss of driving privileges) but about the embarrassment this is causing you. You have to take off of work and hire an attorney. It’s all just a lot.
The one thing that is not going to help, that I see all to often, is waiting until the last minute to hire an attorney. I am a criminal defense attorney, primarily doing DUI defense and traffic defense (even though it isn’t technically criminal in Washington State, it has the same principles) and I can’t tell you how many times people call me the day before they have a hearing and want to hire me. Not only is it bad for me, but it’s bad for you, so I thought I’d explain why you should hire a criminal defense lawyer as quickly as possible if you are charged with a crime or think you are going to be charged with a crime.
1. Damage Control
Despite how silky smooth you might be with the police, the fact is, an attorney knows what you can and can’t say to a police officer, what they can and can’t do to you, and when you should shut your mouth and stop talking with the police. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen people who think they are doing the right thing make tremendous mistakes when dealing with the police.
A criminal lawyer is trained to be your mouthpiece toward the police and the prosecutor. They will keep you from saying things that will get you in trouble and things that will help the prosecutor nail down their case against you.
2. Investigation
The sooner you hire a lawyer the sooner they can begin working on your case. This means tracking down and talking to witnesses who might forget the incident as time wears on, or getting the police reports and dissecting what the police have said in their statements. They can also help thwart the investigation against you, mainly by getting you to be quiet and not help out the police.
3. You Can Pick the Right Person for You
Picking a criminal defense attorney is one of the hardest things out there to do. First, like car mechanics, there are a lot of them out there. Second, like car mechanics, some are really good and really fair, and some will take the shirt of your back when you aren’t looking. How do you tell the difference? You have to take the time to speak with at least two attorneys, and then, after you speak with them, try to find out something about them. What is their reputation like? Call another attorney and ask if they’ve heard of them.
But, whatever you do, please don’t pick on price. If you do, you deserve what you pay for. A higher price doesn’t necessarily mean a better attorney, but most of the time it will reflect a greater depth of work for you and a greater base of knowledge. Take the time to get to know who you are working with so you can trust that they will do what is best for you.
4. The Case Will Not Go Away
No matter how hard you wish, waiting to hire an attorney will not make your case go away. It will just make the judge mad and the prosecutor think you are untrustworthy. Not having an attorney for your first hearing is sometimes unavoidable because of how quickly they can be scheduled. But you should have someone on your side well before your second hearing. And waiting isn’t going to make it any better.
Hiring an attorney is a difficult thing to do. But if you start early you can find someone who you can trust and someone who will do a good job for you.
Christopher Small is a DUI attorney in Seattle and DUI lawyer in Seattle with CMS Law Firm LLC. If you have been charged with DUI in Seattle or Bellevue, don’t wait, call us today for a free consultation. We can help you fight your DUI.
20100612