Why Should You Hire An Attorney In A DUI Case In Orange County? — Being arrested for a DUI in Orange County can be stressful. If you are facing it for the first time, you might be scared without knowing what to do and how to protect your interest. Many people cannot take the right decision and face dire consequences including a jail term. So, if you are going through this unfortunate situation, then first you will have to know your legal rights. Hiring the best Orange County DUI attorney might be the best solution for you.
People normally hesitate to hire an attorney since they think they will have to spend more on the best Orange County DUI lawyers. However, the reality is different. Attorneys are thoroughly skilled and experienced. They know how to bring the decision in your favor. In this article, we will discuss the DUI penalties and punishment and how an attorney can help you to come out of this charge clean.
Should You Hire an Attorney – DUI Penalties in Orange County
The punishment in Orange County for DUI charge will vary significantly than the rest of California. You might face some harsh DUI penalties depending on the offense. The penalty for the first offense will vary from the second, third, and fourth. If you are the fourth time offender, then you will have to face some harsh punishment. Here the best Orange County DUI attorneys can present your case in a favorable manner and can at least reduce the charge.
DUI First Offense
The first-time offense will cause fine, three years of the informal probation, and also an alcohol program. The alcohol program will vary from three to nine months. Besides, there will be one MADD meeting. The duration of the alcohol program will depend on the alcohol level in your blood. If it is under 0.15%, then you will have to join an alcohol program for three months. When the alcohol level is under 0.20%, then the duration will be of six months. Any level above 0.20% will lead to nine months program.
DUI Second Offense
For the second offense, the conviction period will be of ninety-six hours. Yes, there will be the jail term as well. You might be sent to the jail from forty-five to seventy-five days. The jail term can be increased depending on the severity of the offense. Besides, you can expect some penalties and punishment. In this offense, the key difference is the jail term.
DUI Third Offense
For the third time offense, the minimum statutory sentence is 120 days. In the third time DUI offense, the jail term can also be increased similar to the second-time offense. The period can be extended up to one year.
DUI Fourth Offense
The fourth time offense is considered as a felony and you can expect the punishment like the felony. You can get a jail term varying from six months to two years. If you are facing the fourth time offense, then make sure that you are hiring the best Orange County DUI lawyer. An experienced attorney can only help you to reduce the jail term and minimize the punishment. You should never try to represent your case on your own. Without legal knowledge, there is every possibility that you will lose a case and that will lead to some harsh punishment.
Is An Attorney Worth to Fight A DUI Charge?
The answer is certainly yes. Just imagine what you will do once the case goes from your hand. You can do nothing, right? You will have to obey the decision. DUI conviction can be serious if you do not know what to do. You can go to jail. Also, it can affect your record. Some other consequences are the suspension of your driving license, alcohol evaluations, and DUI School. All these will affect both your emotional and financial health. You can minimize the effect by hiring an experienced DUI attorney.
An attorney knows both the strong and weak points. He/she will prepare the case positively and will help you to collect the evidence. You can say that an attorney will take care of everything. More importantly, they will do everything in the right manner. They know the law and your legal rights. They can also intervene in the process of the police if they find that it is violating your legal rights. All these things will contribute to the final result.
Besides, you cannot decide the immediate step. For example, you will have only ten days to prevent your driving license to be canceled automatically. You know there are only ten days. But you do know what to do to prevent this suspension. For this, you will have to request a hearing from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Here a DUI attorney can come to your rescue. An attorney can defend the driving privileges and can prevent the suspension order during the hearing.
From the penalty section, you might have an idea about the punishment that you can get for DUI charge. You will have to pay fees, fines, probation, mandatory DUI school, and suspension of the driving license. All these can be reduced by hiring an experienced DUI attorney in Orange County.
Benefits of Hiring A DUI Attorney
An attorney is educated, skilled, and trained to protect your legal rights and get a favorable decision by using the evidence and proofs in the right direction. They can defend your freedom and safeguard your interest. Besides, you can consider the following benefits.
- An attorney knows what works and what does not. He/she will try all the possible ways to get a positive decision at least to reduce the charge.
- You will pay less by hiring an attorney. If you represent yourself in your case, you will have to spend both your time and effort. Also, you will have to research, prepare documents, argue your defenses, negotiate your case, and do other things to present your case in a positive way. Even if you try hard, you might not win the case, and could end up paying much more than you would otherwise. With an attorney, you can avoid all these conditions.
However, you will have to hire a skilled and experienced attorney. Make sure that the attorney has a good reputation for winning DUI cases. Why Should You Hire An Attorney In A DUI Case In Orange County? Contact our firm for a free evaluation of your case from an experienced Orange County DUI Lawyer.