Conway DUI Lawyer
The police in South Carolina are trained to detect when drivers are driving under the influence of a substance, such as alcohol, drugs, or both. Without legal experience, there is a chance that you’ll get convicted of a DUI if you don’t have a lawyer fighting for you and protecting your rights. The penalties for a DUI conviction include, but aren’t limited to, the following:
- 48 hours up to 25 years of jail time
- Between $992 and $52,245 in fines, assessments, and surcharges
- Up to four years of driver’s license suspension
- Community service
- Ignition interlock device (IID) installation
- Probation
- Drug or alcohol education and treatment programs
- Permanent driver’s license revocation (for habitual DUI offenders)
You should also know that if an individual was injured or killed during the DUI incident, your charge could be a felony. The same applies if you are convicted of a fourth (subsequent) DUI offense, even if no one was injured or killed. In this light, let the Conway DUI lawyer at The Law Office of Brad C. Richardson, LLC, help you get back on the road.
A former prosecutor, our Conway DUI lawyer, Brad C. Richardson, has more than 20 years of experience defending the rights of drivers who have been arrested for DUI. Allow us to do the same for you.
Winning a DUI Case is Possible
Yes, DUI cases are extremely challenging. But getting charged with a DUI doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be convicted. This may even apply if the prosecution has solid evidence of your alleged illegal intoxication. Evidence, such as breathalyzer test results, can often be challenged. Even if an outright win just isn’t possible, there are strategies to lessen the charges and penalties you’re facing. An experienced Conway DUI lawyer makes a massive difference in situations like these.
Depending on the specific circumstances of your DUI case, there are different ways it can end in your favor:
- Your DUI case is dismissed, or the charges against you are dropped – When this occurs, there’s no court battle, and a conviction will not go on your record. DUI cases are dismissed all the time for various reasons. In most cases, the DUI lawyer presents a strong defense, or there’s not enough evidence against the defendant. Sometimes, the prosecutors can’t take on the case because they are overloaded.
- Your charges are reduced – Sometimes, your lawyer may negotiate a plea bargain with the prosecutor. A typical deal involves the prosecutor agreeing to reduce the DUI charges to something less serious, like reckless driving, or requesting a more lenient sentence. While you will need to plead guilty with a plea deal, the case will still be in your favor since you get reduced charges and less severe penalties.
- You are acquitted – This simply means that you are found not guilty of a DUI. If your case heads to trial, this should be your end goal. The chances of a defendant getting acquitted are best when their lawyer can dispute the prosecution’s evidence.
The bottom line is that having a Conway DUI lawyer on your side will significantly improve your chances of winning your DUI case.
How Our Conway DUI Lawyer Can Win Your Case
Our Conway DUI lawyer at The Law Office of Brad C. Richardson, LLC, has ample experience winning DUI cases and knows that the police can make various mistakes during an arrest. These errors can lead to innocent drivers getting charged with DUI. Exposing these errors and the weaknesses in the prosecution’s evidence is a skill that only experienced DUI lawyers possess.
Investigating Your DUI Arrest
Your lawyer will review the arrest report to check whether the arresting officer followed the arrest procedures properly. If they didn’t, this could result in your case being dismissed. Also, if the officer failed to inform you that refusing a breath test is a crime and you refused, this can result in those additional charges getting dismissed.
Exposing Flaws in Breath and Chemical Tests
If the police didn’t maintain the breathalyzer properly or the lab technicians failed to follow proper protocols, your breath or chemical test results may be challenged. Similarly, a person’s BAC naturally increases over time. So, if you submitted to a breath test hours after getting arrested, your BAC might be higher than the level you had when you were actually driving.
Other Potential Defenses
In many cases, the police assume that a seemingly intoxicated person inside a motor vehicle has been driving even if they are not in the driver’s seat. In this situation, the prosecutor must prove that they were driving and that their BAC was above the legal limit. Their charges may be dismissed if the prosecutor cannot prove that the suspect wasn’t just resting or sleeping to sober up before driving.
Negotiating Fiercely For Your Freedom
The primary goal of the prosecution is to have you plead guilty before trial, and they will attempt to pressure you into accepting an unfair deal. Negotiating with prosecutors is immensely difficult, particularly with the threat of severe penalties hanging over your head. When you work with our Conway DUI lawyer, they will handle all the negotiations with the prosecutor for you. You can expect a better deal if the prosecutor’s case is weak.
If it’s not possible to dismiss your case, your lawyer may negotiate a lesser charge. This is especially true if it’s your first DUI offense and you don’t have a criminal record. Similarly, your Conway DUI lawyer may secure less severe punishments, including reduced fines and court fees, less time in jail, or even house arrest instead of imprisonment.
Discuss Your Case With Our Conway DUI Lawyer Today
At The Law Office of Brad C. Richardson, LLC, our Conway DUI lawyer has handled simple DUI cases to the most complex cases involving injuries or death. If you are facing a DUI charge, do not delay in setting up a case evaluation with our Conway DUI lawyer by calling our office or filling out our online form.