Loudoun First DUI Lawyer

Facing a DUI can be a scary, and this is even truer for those who have never faced the criminal justice system before. First time DUIs can result in fines, jail time, and a criminal record. Take the initiative and consult with an experienced Loudoun first DUI lawyer who has handled first-time DUI charges in Loudoun court. Speak to a DUI attorney in Loudoun and learn about the law, your options, how to prepare, and then make an informed decision about how you want to proceed.

Read below to hear a Loudoun County DUI lawyer discuss how he approaches first time DUI cases.

• Penalties For First Offense DUI Charges in Loudoun County
• What To Expect From a First Time DUI Charge in Loudoun County

How a Loudoun First DUI Attorney Can Help

As a Loudoun County 1^st DUI lawyer, when I’m looking at a first-time DUI offense I want to break it up into three main areas to consider.

First, I want to know the reasonable, articulable suspicion for the stop of the person’s vehicle. That means I want to know how they came into contact with law enforcement.

Second, I want to hit the factors that led to the probable cause for the accused’s arrest. This means what were the observations of the officer upon encountering the accused, what was the performance on the field sobriety tests, and/or what was the performance on the preliminary breath test, also known as the PBT.

Lastly, I want to see what the performance was on any scientific testing that occurred after the probable cause decision was made and the arrest occurred. This includes results on the EC/IR2  machine, which is the Virginia-approved breath test machine, or blood test results. I want to look at the procedure and the outcome of these scientific tests.

Loudoun 1^st DUI Lawyers Look At All the Facts

In addition to evidence relating to a lack of reasonable, articulable suspicion or lack of probable cause, I also want to look at issues related to the person’s overall encounter with law enforcement:

• Where were they coming from?
• Where were they going?
• What sort of statements were made to law enforcement?
• What sort of positive or negative observations were made about law enforcement?

All these things are evidentiary considerations that I want to look into.

The Biggest Mistakes to Avoid In Loudoun 1^st Time DUIs

The two biggest mistakes for a first-time DUI defendant are number one, not hiring a 1^st DUI attorney.  A wise judge told me one time that just because you can perform dentistry on yourself, it doesn’t mean you should do so—and the same goes for the law.

Just because you can represent yourself in court, according to the Constitution, does not mean that it is wise for a person to do so—especially in the specific area of DUI law.

In addition, the next common mistake is simply to enter a plea of guilty to the offense without having a concrete understanding of your potential options, including trial options with an experienced Loudoun 1^st DUI attorney.