What is the best way to prepare for a DUI charge in court? 52 Answers as of November 18, 2011

So was this a roadside test or did you provide two breath samples once in custody? Bear in mind that only the Breathalyzer is admissible in court so a roadside test will not be seen by a jury. Hire a good attorney and you can possibly get the charge reduced or dismissed PROVIDED that your driving, field sobriety test performance and physical appearance tend to show a lack of intoxication. On the other hand, you have to realize that anyone can be convicted of DUI even in the absence of a breath test. The .08 or Per se standard is only one of two ways to violate the DUI laws. The other way is to operate a motor vehicle while you are under the influence or affected by alcohol or any other substance. Therefore, if your ability to drive was lessened to an appreciable degree, you can still be convicted of DUI.

The legal limit in the state of Utah is over .08. If you were given a valid test of ,07 you were not over the legal limit. I don't understand why you were charged with DUI. There are other charges that you could have been charged with, but I think you need to make sure that you understand the evidence that the State would be using in your prosecution. Go and get a copy of the law and make sure you understand how their evidence meets the law, or does not. Really you could hire an attorney. Good luck.

There is very little you can do before your arraignment date. However, hiring an attorney should be the first. Another helpful task is to write down a narrative of what occurred. Typically, despite your feelings that the event will be sealed on your brain until the day that you die, your memory of certain facts will fade. Focus on the circumstances of the stop, what was said, what was done, and the timing of each event. As an attorney I want to know as much as you can recall. Sometimes it is the smallest of facts which can help turn a case. Make sure the narrative is addressed to your attorney so that it is protected by Attorney/Client privilege.

Get an attorney and go over the facts of the case with him. There is not enough information to answer thisquestion which depends on the facts of the case.

Hire an attorney. Anything below the legal limit should be litigated by an attorney for either a lesser charge or dismissal.

It is not a good idea to proceed to trial without a good lawyer. There are preparations that need to be made, such as obtaining discovery from the D.A.s office, hiring an expert and supoenaing witnesses. Without going into an exhaustive list of trial preparations, the services of a lawyer are strongly advised.

Hire a good attorney. Don't think that because you blew a .07 (legal limit is .08), that you have nothing to worry about because you blew under the legal limit. The DUI statute reads ".. Having a blood alcohol reading of .08 or above OR whose driving has been affected to an appreciable degree." With a .07 you could still be tried and convicted of a DUI. Hire an attorney who has experience in this area. Do not take this matter lightly.

You need to have an attorney. The response in court is not guilty and you want an attorney.

Your question would be similar to asking, "What do I look for when I want to buy a car?" Every case has specific qualities to it. There is no blanket answer. Your BAC is low enough to negotiate a lower offense or maybe no offense. Call a lawyer.

I am guessing you mean your breath test was a .07 (at .7 you would likely be dead). Your question is unclear but seems you took only a Preliminary Breath Test at the roadside which in Colorado is not admissible in Court. I assume then they determined you 'refused' a test at the jail. So you need to look into both the DMV consequences (1 year no driving due to a refusal) and the way things will go in Court. An attorney really needs to hear all the facts from you and review the police reports before any solid advise can be given, so consult a local experienced DUI lawyer.

I suppose you mean at .07. See if they actually charge you with a crime. If so hire an experienced criminal law specialist.

Hire a lawyer. That may sound a little snotty but the fact is you asked a simple question, what is the best way to prepare for a trial? The answer is hire a lawyer who knows how to do this. Simply put, the district attorney (prosecutor) is a professional, they know the law, they know how to present evidence and the Judge will not help you. Just because the cop screwed up does not mean you win, it means the DA has to work harder or bluff you. A defense lawyer will know how to file pre-trial motions, get some evidence excluded, cross examine the cop (who is, based on your facts set out in the question, the only evidence the state has to offer), and make arguments and objections. This is suicide to do alone. If you insist on going to court without a lawyer, you will be convicted on the cops word and the cops word alone. The State will produce no other witnesses, no other evidence and you will be found guilty because the cop says you are guilty. You do not know how to cross examine a cop, you do not know the law, and you will not know the legal standard the DA must meet. No one, absolutely no one can teach you this material in a short time via questions on the internet. Anyone who purports to advise you how to win on your own is setting you up for failure.

There is no single best way to do anything in legal matters because its never that simple. Therefore, the best thing for you to do is hire a lawyer to represent you. A lawyer will be able to examine the facts, determine which options are available to you and advise you as to which of the options is in his opinion the best thing for you to do.

You should be represented by a competent attorney. If you really had a BAC of 0.07 it is below the legal limit and would provide a defense if there is no other evidence.

Hire a good DUI lawyer. If they never gave you another test at the jail, they might be claiming that you refused that test. You need to talk to a lawyer quickly to see if you need to send a letter to protect your driver's license. These letters need to be mailed within 10 business days of arrest.

I am guessing that you blew a .07 on a portable (hand-held) breath test device (PBT). If so, then that reading is not admissible at trial, although it is under the per se limit (assuming you are at least 21 years old and were not driving a commercial vehicle). The officer can tell the jury that you blew into the PBT and it detected alcohol, and the jury will never know that the reading was below the limit. You really should meet with a DUI lawyer in your local area.

You have to be .08 to be charged with DUI. You need to have an experienced DUI attorney review the case against you. There may be errors that could get the charges reduced or dismissed. If not, you will still need him to prepare for and try your case or to orchestrate the best possible plea deal. A lot is at stake and you should not go at it alone.

Get a DUI specialist to represent you. That is the best way to prepare. And do it soon, because the DMV may suspend your license regardless if a hearing is not timely requested.

The best way to prepare for a DUI case in court is to fully and truthfully, is close all the facts to your attorney and follow his or her instructions concerning the litigation of the case.

I hope you mean .07. At .7, you would be DOA. Unless you are under 21, .07 is under the legal limit and for DUI charges to stick, you must have failed the field sobriety tests. If you are under 21 then .07 is a DUI, actually anything more than .00 can be a DUI. The best way to prepare is to write out everything you can remember about the stop and arrest for your attorney.

The best thing to do is to have an experienced DUI attorney handle this matter for you. Trying to handle a criminal DUI matter in court with no court procedure experience and forensic toxicology knowledge is a big risk to take.

Better engage the services of a competent criminal defense counsel with experience in defending DUI cases to represent you.

Courts will often impose harsh and restrictive bond conditions such as S.C.R.A.M. Ankle Monitor, Interlock Systems in your vehicle, and daily reporting. Each case is different. DUI is a complicated area of the law. There are many specialists out there that only practice DUI defense. Don't believe that you will be able to prevail without an attorney.

Speak with a criminal defense lawyer right away and make sure that you request a DMV hearing.

The obvious answer is get a good lawyer to undertake a thorough review of the case. 0.07 is exceptionally low so I am guessing there is more to this story and that they will try to prove you guilty of general impairment based upon an accident and/or field sobriety testing. The hand held "PBT" result will not be admissible to prove your guilt.

First, you need to get e lawyer. Let him take the lead. That's what you pay him for.

Assuming you mean a .07%, then you are likely looking at a careless driving at worst, which usually means probation and a fine, and maybe a chemical evaluation. But if there was no indication that the alcohol affected your ability to drive, you may want to hold out for a dismissal as driving with a .07 BAC is not illegal.

Presumably you are not representing yourself so your attorney should be preparing you. Since this area of law is so rich in strategy and science, your question is much too broad for a specific response, not to mention there aren't enough facts about your specific case. You should set aside a few hours to speak with your attorney and ask them how they are preparing and what their strategy is, as well as, their assessment of the strength of the evidence against you.

Hire a lawyer and go over the reasons for the stop, whether you took any field sobriety tests or other information that the prosecutor could use against you.

This is a great case for a trial. The State may offer a reduced charge.

The best way to prepare is to retain an experienced attorney. See website on how to retain the right attorney. You write that you blew .7. That is incorrect. If were correct you would have a 70 % blood alcohol concentration and you would be dead. So, I assume you mean .07.

You can help yourself by hiring a good attorney who can sit down with you and discuss the case. Once he appears in court with you, he should be able to get his hands on the police reports and other evidence the state has in its possession. After considering everything, he will discuss your options with you, be it plea bargaining or going to trial.

The best way to prepare for a DWI court case, especially one like you described, is to hire a good defense lawyer.

They will have to prove that you were impaired "at least to the slightest degree". Make sure to get all the police reports and to question the officers.

Hire an attorney. If you want the best way to prepare, that's it. DUI are much to complicated for most people to attempt to handle themselves.

Hire an attorney. The facts that your breath test was under the California legal limit and you were not given a subsequent test at the station are very positive for your defense. However, District Attorneys are hesitant to dismiss cases based off those factors so a trial may be necessary.

Are you saying you had a .07 and you are charged only with under the influence? If so, get an attorney to fight the charge in court. You do not have the expertise to prepare the case yourself. If you can't afford an attorney, get the court to appoint you one.

The best way to prepare is to speak with an experienced DUI attorney. Just because you blew below .08, don't expect a not guilty, as the State can use other evidence to prove their case.

The best way to prepare is by hiring counsel.