How Can an Attorney Help Me If I’m Arrested for DUI?

Being charged with drunk driving can be a frustrating and frightening experience. You may be uncertain about your future and not know where to turn or how to move forward. Many people charged with a DUI want to put the situation behind them as quickly as possible and plead Guilty without thinking of the potential consequences or how a lawyer could help them.

If you were charged with DUI in Wyoming, you will almost certainly benefit from working with our experienced DUI defense team. A DUI conviction can have serious, long-lasting consequences, including fines, jail time, and loss of your driver’s license. If you have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), your livelihood could be at stake. Even if you are not a professional driver, a criminal conviction could negatively affect your employment.

Led by founding attorney and former Campbell County prosecutor Christina L. Williams, the criminal defense team at Just Criminal Law has the skill, experience, and resources to help you successfully navigate a Wyoming DUI charge. Contact our law office today to schedule your personalized case review and strategy session and begin preparing your legal defense.

Do I Need a Lawyer for a DUI?

You are not legally required to hire a lawyer for a DUI charge or any criminal case, for that matter. However, working with an experienced criminal defense team will ensure your rights are protected and help you obtain the best outcome in your case.

How Will a Lawyer Help If I’m Charged with DUI?

If you were charged with drunk driving in Wyoming, our DUI defense team can help. We can investigate your case, advise you and protect your rights, and work to obtain a favorable outcome.

Investigate the Circumstances of Your Arrest

Our team will carefully examine and thoroughly investigate the circumstances of your arrest, including the traffic stop, your interactions with the police officer, and the results of Field Sobriety Tests and chemical tests to identify any weaknesses in the prosecution’s case.

Review and Challenge the Evidence Against You

Our team will review all the evidence the prosecutor intends to introduce to try to convict you, such as results of the breath test and Field Sobriety Tests, the police report, toxicology reports, video recordings, witness statements, and any other evidence. We will analyze whether any of it was obtained illegally. Where appropriate, we will challenge its admissibility.

Negotiate a Plea Bargain

If taking your case to trial is not in your best interests, our team will explore alternative sentencing arrangements and work to negotiate a favorable plea deal that may involve less severe penalties or a plea to less serious charges.

Advise You and Protect Your Rights

A DUI defense attorney can advise you and help you understand your rights, including the right to remain silent, your right to counsel, your right to confront witnesses and the evidence against you, and your Miranda rights. If any of these rights were violated, we can protect you and fight for reduced penalties or dismissal of the DUI charges.

A DUI attorney can also help you understand the potential consequences of a conviction, such as fines, jail time, suspension of your driver’s license, and mandatory substance abuse assessment and treatment, and work to find the best solution in your case.

Represent You in Court

Even if you ultimately accept a plea deal, you will likely need to appear in court. Our team will help you understand the legal process and one of our attorneys will be with you at every court hearing. We will protect your constitutional rights and work to obtain a favorable outcome.

If your DUI case goes to trial, we will present your case in the best possible light. We will voir dire the jury, prepare and present opening statements, cross-examine witnesses, present evidence, and prepare a closing statement designed to obtain a Not Guilty verdict.

Common Defenses to a Wyoming DUI Charge

Defending against a Wyoming DUI charge is complicated and requires a multi-faceted approach. Common defenses to a drunk driving charge include:

• No Probable Cause. Before investigating a suspect and placing them under arrest, a police officer must have probable cause to believe the suspect committed a crime. If at any point during your interaction the police officer lacked probable cause, the investigation should have stopped and any evidence obtained after that point should not be admissible. The officer must be able to point to clear, articulable facts that caused them to believe the suspect was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• Field Sobriety Tests Were Improperly Administered. To be admissible, the Field Sobriety Tests must be administered according to guidelines established by the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration. If the police officer did not administer the test in accordance with these guidelines, the test results are unreliable and should not be admissible as evidence.
• Blood Alcohol Tests Were Improperly Given. For the results to be admissible, the breath, blood, or urine testing equipment must have been properly calibrated, the test must have been properly administered, and the officer conducting the test must have been trained on how to use it. If any of these steps were not performed correctly, the test results may be inaccurate and therefore unreliable and should not be considered as evidence.
• Constitutional Defenses. As in any criminal case, constitutional defenses against DUI charges include failure to advise a defendant of their Miranda rights, violation of your right to an attorney, violation of your right to remain silent, and illegal search and seizure.

Contact Just Criminal Law Today

If you were charged with DUI in Wyoming, the DUI defense team at Just Criminal Law can help. Contact our law office today by calling 307-686-6556, emailing office@justcriminallaw.com, or completing our online form. Spanish language services are available upon request.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this article is offered for educational purposes only. This information is not offered as legal advice. A person accused of a crime should always consult with an attorney before making decisions that have legal consequences.