Should I Plead Guilty to a DUI Charge?

When you are initially arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol after a traffic stop, you may understandably feel overwhelmed, intimidated, and incredibly alone. And when an arresting officer implies that admitting guilt will clear up this whole mess way faster, you may be tempted to believe them. But you must understand that pleading guilty has enormous long-term consequences that cannot be swept away so easily, so you should not admit to such without fully comprehending your constitutional rights. For one, you have the right to a lawyer at this time. With all that being said, please follow along to find out whether or not it is wise to plead guilty to a DUI charge without consulting with one of the proficient Clarksville DUI lawyers from Fendley and Birch first.

Should I plead guilty to a DUI charge without talking to a lawyer first?

If you do not speak with a lawyer before pleading guilty to a DUI charge, you may not become educated on its serious legal implications in time. That is, once you do this, you may waive your right to challenge the traffic stop, breathalyzer test, field sobriety testing, or any other constitutional issues you believed played out at the time of your arrest. In other words, if you have solid evidence that could effectively challenge the prosecution’s claims, you may be barred from the opportunity of ever bringing it forward.

To conclude, you may not know the full strength of your case from early on, but only when you give your lawyer a chance to request discovery, review video evidence, consult with experts, and overall, defend you. This is not to mention that was you have a DUI conviction on your permanent criminal record, it likely cannot be expunged per the state of Tennessee’s criminal statutes. This is to say that you may unnecessarily face excessive jail or prison time, hefty fines, and challenges in your personal life, like job, loan, and housing opportunities.

Can a Tennessee DUI charge be reduced or negotiated instead of pleading guilty?

If you allow them to, your lawyer may enter plea bargaining with the prosecution and attempt to negotiate your DUI charge into a lesser charge, such as reckless driving or other alternative penalties. For example, your lawyer may be convincing in the fact that you were not close to what was considered a high blood-alcohol content (BAC) level at the time of your incident (i.e., less than 0.15 percent). Plus, they may remind prosecutors that your actions never resulted in an accident or harm to others, and that this is your first time getting in trouble with the law.

Lastly, they may point out that, at the time of your traffic stop, you remained extremely cooperative. And ever since then, you have been compliant with attending drug and alcohol treatment programs. As you can see, none of these arguments can be spoken out on if you automatically surrender the blame to yourself. Please do not hesitate to work together with one of the talented Montgomery County criminal defense lawyers. The team at Fendley and Birch will have your best interests at heart always and will fight for justice to reign in your favor.