Staying Out of Jail with a DUI Attorney

After getting arrested, most people ask themselves one question: can a DUI attorney keep me out of jail? The answer to this question, while not 100% universal, is usually yes. A DUI attorney can keep you out of jail, under the right circumstances. First of all, the charges have to be reasonably minimal. For example, if there are other charges on top of the DUI because of the seriousness of the accident, like vehicular manslaughter, then a DUI attorney might be able to keep you out of jail. If it is a simple driving under the influence, driving while intoxicated, DUI metabolite, etc. then a good DUI attorney can keep you out of jail. Especially on a first offense. It won't be cheap, but DUI attorneys are good at negotiating with the prosecuting attorney for alternative sentences to jail time. Often times a suspended sentence is given, wherein the court orders jail time but does not enforce that part of the sentence if other conditions, such as; community service, substance abuse and drunk driving classes, and fines, are met by you.

It is almost an absolute certainty that you will be arrested and booked at the police station, perhaps even the county jail, when you are arrested. Don't be alarmed, that isn't real jail. Well, unless you don't make bail, then you will go to real jail. Without bail, it will be very hard to get an attorney that is not a public defender. The reason being, you will have to pay a DUI attorney an initial retainer fee. If it looks like you can't even pay your bail, which should cost you much less than a typical DUI attorney will. Once you make your bail, you will probably start getting solicitations by mail from DUI attorneys that promise to keep you out of jail. Some of these practices will comb the arrest records each morning and try and strum up business that way. Feel free to shop around, but don't be afraid to ask "Can a DUI attorney keep me out of jail?" when you meet for an initial consultation. They should be honest with you about the costs, and should have a good record of defending other DUI cases. The second DUI will be more difficult, and the third even more so, because a judge will see a pattern and want to punish you. Still, with a very good DUI attorney, you can avoid jail time or -- in the worst case scenario -- minimize the consequence significantly.