The Attorney's Role
DWI is a serious criminal offense, with very real consequences. A driver accused of DWI faces possible jail time, fines, and loss of driving privileges.
This is why it is important to find a lawyer who can be both an advocate and counselor for his client.
Advocate
Most people who hire an attorney for a DWI case are in need of a lawyer who can agressively pursue their best interests in court.
Upon taking your case, a DWI attorney should, at a minimum, do the following:
- Gather all relevant information from the client;
- Gather the arrest report, traffic/weather data, and driving conditions for the place of arrest;
- Determine whether or not the arresting officer had probable cause to believe that the accused was driving while impaired;
- Attempt to have any improperly-obtained evidence suppressed;
- If a trial is needed, to aggressively cross-examine the state's witnesses.
In these ways, a DWI attorney acts as an aggressive advocate for his client's case.
Counselor
From the outset of a DWI case, a client has multiple questions, and is faced with a dizzying array of choices regarding how best to deal with the ongoing DWI case. For the client, the attorney is a valuable ally, explaining the ramifications of each possible outcome of the case to the client, so the client can make the best possible decisions regarding his or her case.
A DWI attorney must be prepared to answer each of these questions, and to be a trusted advisor to the client in what is undoubtedly a very intimidating time.
Questions?
Contact us to schedule a free initial consultation regarding your case!