Charged With A DUI? Hire A DUI-Exclusive Lawyer

DUI charges are serious; even misdemeanor charges come with hefty penalties against your freedom and your ability to drive. A DUI conviction of any kind can also throw your life off track by interfering with your education, career, or future job opportunities.

As a result, if you are charged with a DUI, you should always take the situation seriously and hire a qualified defense lawyer. In Marin County, DUI defense lawyer Aaron Bortel is one of the few attorneys who works exclusively on DUI cases, giving him a distinct advantage over generalist lawyers, and making him the ideal choice to handle your case.

Why Should I Hire A Marin County Lawyer Who Exclusively Practices DUI?

If you have a heart condition, would you go to a general practitioner or a cardiologist who specializes in your particular issue? Most people would pick the specialist if they want a genuine solution. The same idea applies when looking for a lawyer.

If you have been charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) and want a lawyer who will be able to help you through it, you shouldn’t hire a lawyer who spends most of their time handling patents or divorces. You don’t need a defense lawyer who deals primarily with domestic violence, drug possession, fraud, or traffic violation cases; you need a lawyer who focuses primarily on DUI cases.

Why Is Specialization So Important For California DUI Lawyers?

DUI law, especially in California, is highly complex. But knowledge of the law is not enough; successful DUI defense requires a deep understanding of how the laws are treated in the courts, in the criminal system, and under the applicable vehicle codes.

DUI consequences also extend beyond the criminal justice system, so DUI defense must do the same. A strong defense also requires an understanding of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the potential suspensions related to the administrative per se law.

A specialized DUI lawyer can:

1. Take On The DMV For You
   After a DUI arrest, your license will be automatically suspended by the DMV, unless you request a hearing to contest that suspension. There is a tight window for doing so, which is why it is important to contact a DUI attorney right away after your arrest. Your attorney should be familiar with DMV operations and the hearing officers at the DMV so that they know which hearing officer is most likely to rule in your favor at the admin per se hearing. After all, winning this hearing could mean being able to keep driving. While it is, unfortunately, quite difficult to “win” this administrative hearing, you can, at the very least, gain important insights into the case against you and get police testimony locked down. These DMV hearings are also the ideal moment to request a restricted license for work purposes, or an ignition interlock device to keep driving.
2. Help You Keep Driving
   Driving is almost indispensable for life in Marin County, so losing your license for even just 6 months can be extremely painful. An experienced DUI attorney will also know how to walk you through the process of obtaining a restricted license and getting an ignition interlock device installed in your vehicle so that you can stay on the road. A well-connected and informed DUI lawyer can even help you save money on high-risk SR-22 insurance, which is required if your license is suspended or you do end up with a DUI conviction. Perhaps the way a DUI lawyer can make the most difference, however, is by helping you avoid that conviction entirely.
3. Keeping A DUI Conviction Off Your Record
   While a DMV hearing offers a first chance at evading some of the consequences of your arrest, most of those play out in the criminal justice system, which is where a lawyer can make the most difference. By negotiating with the prosecution, finding weak points in their case, calling on expert witnesses, calling into question test results and traffic stop legitimacy, there is a lot an experienced DUI lawyer can do to help ensure your case does not end in a conviction. For example, during a brief period in Marin County and several other San Francisco counties, you could even have a good chance at a diversion. These were programs in which a judge allowed you to complete a series of classes, counseling, community service and other requirements in order to avoid a conviction ever appearing on your record. Unfortunately, while I was able to obtain several of these for clients at the time, higher courts have since decided not to allow diversions for the vast majority of DUI cases. That said, if you fall into certain special categories, such as veterans, there might still be the possibility of obtaining a diversion for your DUI case. Assuming you have a sufficiently knowledgeable and specialized DUI lawyer to pull it off, of course.

The Right DUI Resolution For You Requires A DUI Lawyer Who Has Seen Them All

There are all sorts of different combinations that can happen between the court and DMV. If you have your charges dropped and win the DMV hearing, you might avoid all of the consequences on your driver’s license, including suspension, points, and increased insurance rates. As a result, you could save yourself tens of thousands of dollars and a permanent criminal conviction, which is huge.

As with any criminal case, you need to find the most qualified attorney possible, which means one who is very familiar with the relevant laws and the county where the arrest occurred. Your attorney should understand the strongest defenses and know how to obtain the best result for your specific circumstances. In some cases, that might mean avoiding a conviction even when your blood alcohol concentration was twice the legal limit.

Most of the time, however, you will have to face some kind of consequences, such as participating in DUI school, community service, or paying fines. Having the right attorney means knowing which consequences will be worth avoiding others, and how to optimize the outcome for you, even if a conviction is unavoidable.

Your Marin County DUI Attorney- Aaron Bortel

If you have been arrested for Driving Under the Influence in Marin County, it is critical to have an attorney who knows what is going on and who stays in constant communication with other DUI attorneys, prosecutors, and judges in Marin County.

As one of the only DUI-focused defense lawyers in the County, Aaron Bortel is the man for the job. Defending DUI cases day in and day out, he knows what to do and how to do it to minimize the damage done to your life from the arrest.

To secure a free initial consultation with a Marin County DUI exclusive lawyer, call (415) 520-6815 today.