Once, around four years ago, you were driving home after a bad day at work. You stopped at a local bar and got “smashed,” for a lack of a better term. You also got caught.
Now, it’s years later, and you’ve been stopped again. You didn’t drink much, and you didn’t expect anything to come from the stop. Unfortunately, your Breathalyzer test came back over the limit.
Repeat DWI offenses can significantly impact your life. Each time you receive a conviction, it goes onto your record. Each subsequent sentence can get longer and have higher penalties and fines. It’s difficult to handle, especially if you’ve been falsely accused or believe that the charges are unfair.
Any time you face DWI charges, it’s necessary to mount a defense. Some things that your attorney should be looking for include:
- Police errors, like making a traffic stop illegally
- Breathalyzer test errors, like not being calibrated correctly
- Conflicts in evidence, such as seeing you pass field sobriety tests but fail a Breathalyzer test
Your attorney’s job is to build up doubt and to explain why this charge isn’t right for you. Even if the charge is correct, they’ll work to reduce the penalties you could face so that you have the best chance of walking away with fewer long-term consequences.
What happens if you’re convicted?
You should know that a conviction can have lasting implications for you. It’s important that you take the time to work on a defense as soon as you can, so you have the best chance of reducing the penalties you face or being able to have the case dismissed completely. Our website has more on DWIs and why it’s important to protect your best interests.