Why Do You Need a Fresno DUI Attorney?

The fact is that you do not need a lawyer. What you do need is a Fresno DUI lawyer!  Defending a DUI is very different from handling any other type of criminal matter. For one thing, the elements of the offense are often extremely technical in their details and require an attorney who is not just merely familiar with DUI's but actually specializes in handling them.

However, you may have three options for representation in DUI court: (1) use the public defender (if you qualify), (2) represent yourself or (3) hire a private attorney.

The Public Defender

Many people are critical of public defenders. Many see them as county employees (same as the DA's) that simply "herd people through the system" and "don't really care". This perception, for the most part, is wrong.  Most of the public defenders I know are very good lawyers. They know the judges, the prosecutors and court system where they practice.

However, there are serious disadvantages to the public defender in a case as specialized as a DUI. First, you may not qualify financially for their services.  The Public Defender is reserved for "indigent" clients.  You will have to disclose your financial information in open court so the judge can make the determination of indigency.   Second, most of the public defenders in DUI cases are novices in this specialized area of law and do not have the knowledge to successfully defend your case.  Third, a public defender is assigned to your case.  You generally cannot select a different one if the two of you don't get along. If the one you're assigned is fresh out of law school (and often they are), you won't be able to change.  Fourth, the public defender will not handle the DMV part of your case. As I will explain, fighting the DMV part of your DUI case is inextricably tied to fighting the criminal part.

Finally, and most importantly, public defenders rarely devote the sort of time, energy and resources in preparing your DUI case, the kind that a good private lawyer can. It's not that the public defender wouldn't like to. But in reality, they have way too many cases, responsibilities and pressures so that this sort of devotion to any particular case becomes impractical.  They simply don't have the time.  They walk into court each day with maybe a hundred cases on calendar that day.  How much time can they devote to yours?

Self-Representation

It is almost never a good idea to respond to a criminal charge without a good, experienced lawyer--especially in such a specialized and technical area of law as a DUI.

A good Fresno DUI lawyer can (1) discover and develop the favorable issues in your case, (2) assess the value of your case in the particular court and community where it's being heard, and (3) negotiate the deal that will have the least harmful impact on your particular life situation. No matter how bright he/she is, or how much reading he/she does, a lay person accused of DUI is never going to be able to do this as effectively as a skilled and competent DUI specialist.

Private DUI Lawyers

Private attorneys who specialize in DUI defense are, without question, the way to go.  They keep up with the latest ever-changing laws, strategies, and defenses.  The issues in DUI's are scientific and very technical and require a substantial amount of time and effort to keep up with.  A good, private, DUI lawyer will spend the time and effort to do so. Keep in mind that fighting a DUI has two completely different aspects; the Court and the DMV. Each of them requires a different expertise that only an experienced DUI lawyer can provide.

You will find that lawyers in the central valley charge anywhere from $1000 to $7500 for misdemeanor, first-time, DUI's.  As with anything, you get what you pay for. A good DUI attorney can do wonders. But you won't find a DUI lawyer in Fresno or the surrounding areas with the knowledge, experience and commitment to make a real difference in your case at the low end of the price spectrum. You just won't. There are no bargains. Most cheap attorneys will simply show up to court and plead you out, and do nothing to cultivate the sort of defenses that can alter the outcome of the case.  In short, if you can afford one, a good private attorney, who devotes his practice to DUI's, is definitely the way to go.

Call Fresno DUI lawyer, Terry Wapner today!