Many people would have you believe that if you are accused of drunk driving and you are found to have a blood alcohol level that exceeds the legal limit of 0.08, then there is no hope for you. Best case scenario, as this line of thinking goes, is that you could serve some time in jail and have a permanent criminal record. In addition, you will pay a lot of money for insurance and other factors related to your DUI, robbing you of some of your freedoms and ability to live life the way you want.
To be fair, the risks described above are very real if you are accused of a drunk driving offense. However, just because you are accused of drunk driving doesn’t mean you are lacking in defense options. In fact, there are many viable defense strategies that can be utilized to help you mitigate the damage of the charge or even beat the case outright.
Some of the most common defense strategies relate to the police and their handling of your case. Was the stop that triggered your DUI proper? Did the police follow proper protocols in administering tests? Was the testing machine properly maintained and serviced? Was the evidence in your case tainted in any way from the way it was collected or handled along the chain of custody? These are important factors to consider in a DUI case.
There are also other mitigating circumstances about the particular accused that may factor into whether someone may be able to avoid a criminal record and the more severe consequences of a misdemeanor DUI, including the need for alcohol treatment. All circumstances about the allegations and the accused must be examined and considered when looking to get the best result possible when charged with a DUI.