Alcohol Abuse Advice

Do I Need a Sarasota DUI Attorney?

Recently a man was pulled over in Sarasota FL twice in the same night for driving under the influence. The second time, his blood alcohol level had gone up by more than .100. Obviously, he’d had a few more drinks in the hour and a half that he’d been out of jail. In another incident, a woman called 911 to report herself to police. Neither of these drivers had a Sarasota DUI attorney, so what will happen to them in court is unclear. What is known is that the penalties for driving while impaired can be stiff. If you don’t have qualified help, the consequences can be long lasting and severe.

Many drivers that receive a DUI are first offenders. This means that they have never been pulled over for driving under the influence before. If this is your situation, consider yourself lucky. While there are still penalties, they are much less severe for first offenders. As a first offender, your first step should be to get a Sarasota DUI attorney. Don’t rely on the public defender or even on a traditional lawyer. While they are certainly better than no representation at all, they don’t really know the ins and outs of DUI law.

There are several things that you can expect when dealing with a first offense DUI. For example, in many states, a minimum period of driver license suspension is a basic penalty. You may also be subject to fines, community service and participation in an alcohol abuse counseling program. The offense will also appear on your driving record for a certain amount of time. Mitigating these effects is what your Sarasota DUI lawyer specializes in. Some employers won’t hire an applicant with a prior DUI, so the consequences can be serious. Having someone who knows the ins and outs of the local laws can be a great benefit during the prosecution process.

Obviously, you will always get the best results if this is your first offense. Even a good Sarasota DUI lawyer can have a hard time helping repeat offenders. Judges do not look kindly on those who drive impaired as a habit and you will dealt with accordingly. However, if this is a one time mistake, you can recover from this if you make good choices from here on out

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