A drunk driving allegation can threaten the everyday life that you enjoy. The accusations themselves can tarnish your reputation in the community and affect your familial relationships, potentially playing a role in any child custody cases that you have pending. A conviction can even lead to more severe penalties, such as incarceration, license suspension, loss of job and trouble securing new employment. This could raise questions as to whether taking a plea deal is right for you.
When should you consider taking a plea deal in your drunk driving case?
The decision to take a plea agreement in a DUI case is one that shouldn’t be made lightly. Before deciding which course of action is right for you, you should consider several factors, including:
- The strength of the prosecution’s case.
- Any Constitutional violations that you may be able to rely upon to suppress incriminating evidence.
- The credibility, or lack thereof, of the prosecution’s witnesses.
- The penalties proposed by the plea agreement in light of what’s at risk by taking your case to trial.
- Any difficulties articulating a strong defense argument.
- The existence of any prior convictions that can be used against you in court and may be used to enhance your sentence.
- How quickly you want to put the case behind you.
Depending on the facts of your case, there may be advantages to accepting a plea deal. Otherwise, you should be prepared to fight to defend your future and your freedom.
Craft a compelling DUI defense
You have to tackle your drunk driving case head-on. Otherwise, you could find yourself backpedaling once the prosecution starts presenting its evidence against you. So, be thorough in crafting your criminal defense strategy, and seek out any help that may be needed to effectively advocate for your position.