If you find yourself charged with a DUI or other crime, now what do you do? Often when I talk to potential clients, one of the questions they often ask is whether they need a lawyer. The answer may seem self-serving, but yes I think every person charged with a crime, with the exception of minor speeding tickets, should have a top notch Colorado Springs Criminal Defense attorney or DUI Defense attorney. The reason for this answer is because of the way our legal system operates in Colorado.
If a person is accused of a crime, the District Attorney will look at the charge and based on the charge will make a settlement offer to the accused. The offer will be based almost solely on the charge and the person’s criminal history. The District Attorney often only gives the police reports a quick glance to see if there is a basis for the charge. If you are charged with DUI and it is a first offense, the District Attorney will make a pre-arranged offer whether or not the DA has a great case.
A criminal defense lawyer will also review the evidence but from a different perspective than the prosecutor. A criminal defense attorney is looking for whether there is sufficient evidence for a jury to convict. Additionally, however, the criminal defense attorney is looking for weaknesses in the case and evidence. Perhaps the police stopped a vehicle and discovered that the driver was intoxicated, but the stop of the vehicle was done in an improper or illegal manner. If a stop is illegal than any evidence seized by that police officer will be inadmissible in Court. A person may do a breath test and be over the legal limit, but if the proper procedures are not followed in administering that test, then the results can be called into question and potentially held to be inadmissible as well.
There are numerous ways of attacking a case and challenging the evidence. However, only a Colorado Springs DUI defense attorney will know what to look for when examining the evidence. If such problems with the case exist, you can be assured that the District attorney will not be taking those weaknesses into account when making a plea offer to an unrepresented person. Without an attorney you will be at the mercy of the prosecutor.
Not every case will result in a better plea offer or a win at trial just because you have an attorney. Often the District Attorney has sufficient evidence to convict a person of a crime whether that person has a lawyer or not. One thing is for sure though, unless you have an experienced, aggressive, criminal defense lawyer in Colorado Springs you do not know what may have happened. Give a criminal lawyer a chance to review your case and guide you through the process. In our day and time, the consequences for a criminal conviction are severe and costly.
A criminal conviction can result in embarrassment, loss of employment, loss of future employment, loss of housing, heavy fines, lengthy probation, expensive mandatory treatment, and even jail or prison. Please do not handle your case without an attorney at your side.
