In many countries drunk driving is considered a serious offense and if prosecuted there are severe consequences. Both federal and provisional laws has guidelines for Driving Under Influence or DUI and the punishment can range from fine, cancellation of license to even jail term.
If in case you are ever caught drunk driving in New Jersey and seem to be heading for a punishment, it is best to hire an experienced DUI lawyer in New Jersey. Hiring a good lawyer can make a huge difference to your case and can get you a reduced sentence or even a full acquittal from the case.
Punishment for DUI: Before understanding why is it so important to invest time and money in finding and hiring a good DUI lawyer, let us look at the severity of the punishment that you are looking at.
The minimum punishment if prosecuted and found guilty is:
- For your first offense: A fine of $1,000 and a nationwide suspension of your license for 1 year.
- For your second offense: A minimum of 30 days in jail along with a nationwide suspension of your driving license for 2 years.
- For your third offense: A minimum of 120 days in jail along with a nationwide suspension of your driving license for 3 years.
- If another person gets physically hurt due to your drunk driving: If a person is hurt then depending on the severity of the injury, you can be sentenced up to 10 years in jail.
- Accidental death: If due to your DUI a person dies then, depending on the circumstances leading to death, you can even get a life sentence.
Advantages of Hiring A DUI Lawyer: Now that you know how seriously the legal system looks at drunk driving, you do know the importance of hiring a good lawyer to handle your case.
Here is a list of advantages of hiring an experienced DUI lawyer for your case:
- Our legal system is very complicated and a layman can easily get lost in the myriads of procedures and paper work required. A lawyer who has experience in handling such cases will know all the ins and outs. This will work in your advantage as you can be assured of a lighter sentence wherever possible.
- If you chose to hire a family lawyer for your case then although they will be able to draft the paperwork for you but might not be aware of the latest requirement in DUI cases like blood test, breath test, field sobriety test etc. All these will help your case, and if missed out may have severe consequences.
- A lawyer who is well respected in the system will also be able to negotiate better and help in getting a reduced sentence.
- If the case is serious and has led to injury or death then you are looking at a much tougher sentence. In case the prosecuting lawyer is aggressively asking for a harsher punishment only an experienced DUI lawyer will be able to save you in such a situation.
- They will even present your case more effectively in front of the motor vehicle department to get you a lesser time in license suspension.
Drunken driving is very dangerous for both the driver and the other people on the road. It is best to avoid such situations but in case you do get caught driving drunk then it is best to hire an experienced lawyer to handle your case in court.