Virginia DUI Lawyer and Virginia DWI Lawyer Assistance
Virginia DUI is a serious criminal offense in Virginia (see DUI Penalties). Even if this represents your first contact with the criminal justice system you have now been arrested, fingerprinted, and photographed, and you are in need of the best Virginia DUI attorney available. Understandably you are confused and worried, and you should be. When you are arrested for a Virginia DUI several things can happen to you; the most serious of which is that you face up to a year in jail (longer if this is your third or subsequent offense). Additionally, you can lose your privilege to drive for years, be ordered to pay an expensive fine, be placed on probation, and have to complete a lengthy and expensive alcohol safety course. For a full discussion of the possible punishments see our DUI Penalties section.
Things you should know from a Virginia DUI Attorney
Just because you may have been arrested for a Virginia DUI, and need the services of a Virginia DUI Lawyer, you don't have to let it ruin your life. You may not realize it yet, but if you are thinking about simply going to court and pleading guilty, or getting your family attorney to handle your case, you may be cheating yourself. You see, an experienced and aggressive Virginia DUI Attorney, after reviewing your case for defects, may suppress evidence, compel discovery of such things as calibration and maintenance records for the breath machine, have blood samples independently analyzed, and obtain expert witnesses all of which may help you substantially improve your chances at trial. Your family attorney specializes in Family Law - wills, deeds, trusts, and so forth. Your family attorney may see one or two of these cases a year, whereas an experienced DUI Lawyer will have handled hundreds of these cases. If you are seriously ill will you rely solely on a General Practitioner or will you get a medical specialist? You should regard your serious legal issues in the same manner and contact a Virginia DUI Lawyer.
Our knowledge and experience is so important because the DUI laws of Virginia and Supreme Court decisions concerning "drunk driving" have changed radically over recent years. The person arrested today in Virginia for DUI faces bewildering procedures and potentially devastating punishment that can be more severe than in some felony cases. After the person is initially stopped or contacted by the police (possibly at a "sobriety checkpoint"), he is asked incriminating questions without any Miranda warnings of rights and without any right to consult with an attorney. He is then subjected to a series of "field sobriety tests" under physically and emotionally difficult conditions, tests which are nearly impossible for most people to perform well. He may be asked to blow into a hand-held "PBT" (preliminary breath test); the officers routinely fail to advise the suspect that he is not required to submit to this test. An experienced Virginia DUI Lawyer knows the procedures that the police officer should have followed and can determine if the officer made mistakes during the stop and testing of the driver. These mistakes may provide a Defense to the case.
After the arrest, the driver is then required to submit to breath or blood testing, usually at the police station and, again, without any right to speak with an attorney. Contrary to popular belief, the breath-alyzers used by the police are not perfect and are often unreliable. Furthermore, many officers administering the breath tests are unfamiliar with proper procedures. If the suspect refuses, or if the police feel he is not cooperating to their satisfaction, that will trigger an additional charge of refusal and the potential of a one-year license suspension (without a restricted license being given).
The individual now faces a tremendous battle. He must deal with a criminal prosecution in court. Properly defended, your case will involve several court hearings; if represented by counsel, however, the individual should not have to appear at most of these. These proceedings can effectively be handled by an attorney experienced in DUI cases. It is an unfortunate fact, however, that many general practitioners attempt to represent clients in this very complex field and the results are unfortunately predictable.
If you or someone you know has been arrested for a Virginia DUI, you must seek competent and aggressive legal representation immediately. You have legal rights which must be exercised now or you may lose them.
Virginia DUI Attorney Michael A. Pignone has been successfully defending clients charged with a DUI for over a decade and has a sterling reputation for positive results.
Please contact me on any criminal matter at: (703) 330-3200 or fill out our contact form >>
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