You need to begin the process of finding and hiring your DUI defense lawyer as soon as possible after you’ve been charged. As you start your search, here are some tips for selecting the attorney who will stand up for you and stand between you and all the harsh consequences of a DUI conviction.
When you’ve been arrested and charged with driving under the influence (DUI) in Colorado Springs, one person stands between you and a loss of your driving privileges. One person stands between you and thousands of dollars and time spent behind bars away from your family. One person stands between you and a stain on your reputation that can haunt you for decades to come: your DUI defense attorney.
Given what’s at stake, choosing the best DUI attorney in Colorado Springs for you is no small undertaking.
Know what to look for in the best DUI attorneys in Colorado Springs
DUI charges are common, but successfully defending against DUI charges requires uncommon skill, experience, and knowledge.
Colorado’s DUI laws are complicated, as it effectively challenging every aspect of your stop, testing, and arrest, and discrediting evidence and witnesses. But there is more to fighting DUI allegations than the law. Understanding the science of accurately determining blood alcohol content (BAC) – and knowing how to challenge test results – can often be the difference between conviction and acquittal.
You need an attorney who knows DUI inside and out. Your lawyer needs to be someone who doesn’t “dabble” in DUI defense or handles such cases from time to time.
The best DUI defense attorneys have extensive experience successfully defending cases like yours and use the insights they’ve gained from that experience to your advantage. Ideally, they have experience prosecuting DUI cases as well as defending them, so they have a better sense of how prosecutors build their cases.
Do your research with friends, family, online and the phone
Like most folks charged with DUI in Colorado Springs, you’ve probably never needed a criminal defense attorney – or any kind of attorney – before. But you need one now, and you need one fast. Where do you look?
Start by asking your friends and your network if they have a referral for you. Specifically, try to find someone who has faced DUI charges and who had a DUI defense attorney they had a positive experience with.
If you get some names, follow up with some online research about the attorneys. Look at their websites to get a sense of their experience, credentials, and general approach, especially as to DUI cases. See if there are any reviews or client testimonials on other websites (the reviews on an attorney’s site will, of course, be glowing).
Related: How much does a DUI lawyer cost in Colorado Springs?
Then, pick up the phone and arrange a consultation with two or three lawyers who seem to fit the bill for you.
Make the most of free consultations
Most Pikes Peak area law firms offer a free consultation with a Colorado Springs-based criminal defense attorney. Make the most of this by speaking with at least three attorneys.
When you first meet with or speak with a Colorado Springs DUI attorney you are considering hiring, ask these questions:
- How long have you practiced criminal law in Colorado?
- Is criminal defense the only focus of your practice?
- How many DUI cases have you handled? How many are you handling now?
- What is your track record defending against DUI charges?
- Will you be personally handling my DUI case or will some other lawyer in your office work on it?
- How much will it cost to defend me against my DUI charges and do you offer any payment plans?
Finally, after you have done your research and found one or two DUI attorneys who have the right qualifications, experience, and record of success, choose the one who makes you comfortable, treats you with patience and respect, and gives you a feeling of confidence that everything is going to be okay.
