I don’t want to make another mistake after being caught for DUI here in Palm Beach so I want to hire an attorney to defend me. Problem is, how would I select a DUI attorney among the available ones who could help me?

Eric

Palm Beach, FL

Certain DUI cases can just be resolved by having a plea bargain and you won’t need an attorney for it but that could end up having more jail time than if you have chosen to hire a DUI attorney.

When selecting a DUI attorney in Palm Beach, it is highly suggested that you hire one who is experienced in defending DUI cases. That attorney should also be one that offers free consultations in order for you to ask the right questions before hiring them. A lot of very good DUI attorneys may not offer free consultations but you can still be able to find ones that do. There are also DUI lawyers that have Websites in which you can learn more about their practice. Before you hire a lawyer to defend you, you must know first you would be contacted regularly about the status of your DUI case. Also, you need to make sure whether that lawyer you talked to will be the one who would handle your case or one of his/her associates. Feel free to ask the lawyer as well as to what the estimate cost of total fees would be.

Keep in mind that the one you choose to defend you on your DUI case can spell all the difference and can help you avoid jail time or pay very high fines. A good DUI attorney would push you to be involved in an AA program so that you can show the courts that you have been transformed. It is also very important that you trust your DUI lawyer and have confidence in him/her and at ease working together.

I’m afraid I might just lose my DUI case here in Palm Beach, Florida because I really don’t know what to do. I know this would cost me too much time and money, but how would I know what it would really cost me to have a DUI conviction?

Franco

Palm Beach, FL

The first thing that you would have to do now after you have been charged with DUI in Palm Beach, Florida is to get a lawyer who would represent you. Hire a lawyer who specializes in DUI cases if your income allows it. This kind of lawyer would be able to give you solid information on what you could expect in terms of cost for your DUI case. You can add the lawyer’s fees into your total and you could also request an estimate or you may estimate this cost based on your lawyer’s hourly rate.

A lot of DUI lawyers offer a free consultation to go over the basic facts of your DUI case. You may ask for a ballpark figure on what the defense would cost you based on your particular situation. Also, remember that a DUI conviction could be costly for years to come. For some people, a DUI conviction would be costly in terms of employment because they’ll have limited options for the future and, in some cases, termination. Your DUI may also cost you for your car insurance rates to increase. So if you’re in search for a justifiable car insurance rates after your DUI, go on and get an online rate quote from this website.

I heard from someone here in Palm Beach, Florida that there are things that can lead into the inaccuracy of the Intoxilyzer 8000 that is used as a breath test machine in DUI cases. What are the reasons that can cause an inaccurate result of the Intoxilyzer 8000?

Janice

Palm Beach, FL

If the Intoxilyzer 8000 is used as a breath test in Palm Beach, Florida, it is said that the results of this test is inaccurate. There are several reasons why the Intoxilyzer 8000 could have inaccurate results when reporting a driver’s blood alcohol concentration. The common reason for the inaccuracy of the Intoxilyzer 8000 include: operation of the machine by unqualified person, operation by someone who is unlicensed, interference of radio frequency, contamination of mouth alcohol, malfunction of the machine and internal body temperature inaccuracy.

It would always be to the driver’s benefit to speak with a qualified DUI lawyer because the breath test results from the Intoxilyzer 8000 could be inaccurate. A DUI lawyer could review the test results, speak with the law enforcement, investigate the conditions of the breath test, and question the person who administered the breath test.

I have heard a lot of cases about DUI here in Palm Beach, Florida especially regarding DUI arrests. What are these so-called symptoms of intoxication that can be caused by things other than alcohol?

Nash

Palm Beach, FL

Police officers in a DUI arrest often claim to have observed certain “objective symptoms of intoxication” on the person suspected for DUI. The standard list of the symptoms of intoxication includes slurred speech, bloodshot or watery eyes, an unsteady gait and a flushed face. Police reports on DUI cases have pre-printed boxes for these symptoms that officers merely check off. But in most DUI cases in Palm Beach Florida, officers fail to take photograph, videotape or audiotape the person suspected for DUI so that the jury could later judge for themselves if these symptoms were present and to what extent.

But in any event, there are certain things that could explain these observations and they are non-alcohol causes. One great example of this is that allergies, eye strain and fatigue often cause bloodshot eyes; embarrassment, anger and nervousness over the DUI stop could also cause flushing; fluster and intimidation could cause slurred speech. Police officers rarely take these innocent explanations into consideration but it can be emphasized that the evidence is just as consistent with non-alcohol explanations as it is with intoxication.

I heard my parents talking about my father’s DUI case in Palm Beach, Florida. My father said that they should take the advice of the lawyer to plea bargain. In a DUI case, what does plea bargain mean?

Wally

Palm, Beach, FL

As how it sounds, plea bargain is pretty much a type of a bargain. In your father’s DUI case in Palm Beach, Florida, your father and the government would make a specific arrangement whereby he agrees to plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for the prosecution to not prosecute him any further. An example is if the prosecution has just approached your father and his DUI lawyer about accepting a lesser charge of reckless driving instead of having a DUI charge. Of course, this would mean that your father wouldn’t have to face such harsh penalties. This is considered usually if he has an exemplary criminal record.

After your father consults with his attorney and understands your father’s specific case, they may both find it best to plea bargain. Although plea bargaining is rare in many DUI cases, this arrangement may be appropriate for your father as the defendant and the government or the prosecution depending on the seriousness of the DUI case and the strength of the evidence against your father.

My cousin was charged with DUI in Palm Beach, Florida. I want to help him as much as I can because we were together when he got arrested. I’m doing online researches regarding defenses can be used in a DUI case. I was also told that a strong odor of alcohol does not really make a person driving under the influence. How true is this and can we used this as a defense?

Hannah

Palm Beach, FL

Yes, it’s true that an alcohol on the breath does not mean that a person is driving under the influence. In some DUI cases in Palm Beach, Florida, this can actually be used as a defense. Police officers always mention that they believe that a person is drunk driving because they smell “a strong odor of alcohol on the suspect’s breath.” But these officers look foolish on cross-examination when he admits that alcohol itself (ethanol) has no odor. It is actually the mixing agent or flavoring that produces the odor we associate with alcohol. A non-alcoholic beer tastes and smells just like beer, but it doesn’t contain alcohol.

Indeed, laboratory studies show that the perceptions of the police officers of how strongly a person’s breath smells of alcohol simply doesn’t correlate with his/her actual blood alcohol level. All that can be assumed from the “odor of alcohol on the breath” is that a DUI suspect probably consumed some alcohol recently. But it actually does not provide evidence that the person drank enough to be driving under the influence or to have a .08 percent BAC or higher.

I was charged with DUI here in Palm Beach, Florida and this is already my second arrest but the first one was dismissed. I didn’t hire a lawyer the first time I was arrested because I knew it will cost me too much money but I was lucky that I was not convicted. Now, could you tell me how important is having a DUI lawyer on my side?

Nick

Palm Beach, FL

If you have been arrested for driving under the influence, a Palm Beach, Florida DUI lawyer could help you to minimize the penalties imposed if convicted or even help you to successfully defend yourself against the charges. DUI lawyer responsibilities range from consulting clients when they are initially charged to seeing clients through their criminal trials and any administrative proceedings that take place. Qualified DUI lawyer would be able to counsel DUI defendants and educate them about what will take place. Knowing what constitutes DUI in Palm Beach, Florida and the penalties you may face is important for all drivers, so keep this information in mind.

The DUI lawyer would help you prepare for your case by reviewing evidence and gathering information that can be crucial to your situation. Having a qualified DUI lawyer on your side gives you a better chance of a positive outcome than representing yourself or working with a lawyer who does not specialize in DUI cases. Specialized DUI lawyers have more experience in handling DUI cases and also have access to a number of experts that can provide testimonies during your criminal trial.

I’ve been following several DUI cases here in Palm Beach County, Florida since my sister has been a victim of a DUI-related offense. Is it true that a person can also be charged with DUI without actually driving? Are there people who have already been convicted of this kind of a DUI charge?

Dean

Palm Beach, FL

As strange and funny as it may sound, an individual could be charged with DUI in Palm Beach, Florida without actually driving. In the State of Florida, a person can be convicted of DUI if driving or in actual physical control of the vehicle.

Actual physical control arises in a variety of different ways. There have been many DUI cases in Palm Beach County, Florida where the police officer arrives at the scene and discovers that the defendant was asleep behind the wheel, either with the engine running or not. There are also DUI cases where the defendant had passed out while waiting on the traffic light to change. This means that actual physical control is where the individual has the ability to readily exercise control over the vehicle. Examples would include if the driver fell asleep behind the wheel and the car keys are in the ignition or if the driver is lying down asleep in the front seat and the keys are in the ignition.

There are several people reported to have been actually convicted for DUI without actually driving the vehicle during the arrest. Most of them have pulled the car off of the roadway, turned off the automobile and then proceeded to sleep it off and the police officers stumbled upon them. The issue of actual physical control is decided by a jury, not by a judge unless it is a non-jury trial.

My sister has just been recently charged with DUI here in Palm Beach, Florida. She has not decided whether or not she will get a DUI lawyer. In case she wants to hire one, what are the questions she needs to ask the lawyer she is considering?

Amy

Palm Beach, FL

Getting arrested for DUI in Palm Beach, Florida can have very serious repercussions which include imprisonment and driver’s license suspension. Because of that, people who are facing a DUI case would do well to get the legal advice that they need in defending their DUI charge.

Asking the lawyers your sister is considering to represent her in her DUI case the right questions can help her decide on a lawyer who will aggressively represent her in the DUI case. Some of the most important questions your sister should ask are about his or her experience in practicing law, in handling DUI cases, and his or her familiarity with laws and the judges. Knowing these can help her gauge if the lawyer has gained the necessary experience he or she needs to go about the case. In addition to this, your sister should also consider a number of things, including the lawyer’s reputation not only among clients but among other lawyers as well. She should also try to get a lawyer that carries malpractice insurance just in case of any problems that can occur during the DUI trial. Lastly and more importantly, she should also ask about the lawyer’s fees.

Can you explain to me how to know what to do when hiring a Palm Beach DUI attorney?

Chris

Thanks For asking Chris.

When hiring a Palm Beach DUI attorney, it’s most beneficial to be as inquisitive as possible. ASK! About everything! Remember, you have center stage here, so don’t just take vague statements. You need to hire a lawyer you are comfortable with, and also one that knows their stuff.

Make sure your lawyer defines their experience. When they say they have however many years of experience, in what? In DUI law? If not, then get out. If yes, ask them how many DUI cases they handle, and what percentage that is of their workload. When did they last handle a DUI case, and how did it turn out? Do they stay on top of changes in current laws, do they attend conferences on DUI defense, and so on?

You also have to make sure that they have an understanding of your case and can communicate it to you. If they can’t get their point accross to you, then there’s nothing you can do. They also need to have fair fees for their services, and be able to explain them to you.

–Fashun.