What You Should Know Before You Hire a DUI Lawyer

Jamie Spencer, a lawyer in Austin, Texas, received an email from someone saying that her boyfriend was charged with a DWI with a child in the car. Her boyfriend was referred to a lawyer who isn’t a DWI lawyer and she asks if this is the lawyer to have. Jamie’s answer is:

“Actually, I would look for a lawyer that does have trial experience. Prosecutors know which lawyers will and won’t try cases, and, all other things being equal, probably offer better plea bargains to lawyers who they know can try a case well. Also, I think personal referrals are always a good source for finding a lawyer.

Criminal defense is very different from civil law practice however. You will want to know how much criminal defense, and DWI work any lawyer you hire has under his belt.”

There are a few things you’ll want to know about a lawyer before you hire him/her to represent you in your DUI case:

1. Who will be handling your case – the primary lawyer or someone else in the firm?
2. What percentage of their cases are actually DUI cases?
3. How much do they charge and what are all the fees involved?

Personally, I think it’s best to hire a lawyer who specializes in DUI cases. That way you know you’re dealing with someone who is very knowledgable about the subject. In addition, if you hire a San Diego DUI lawyer, make sure they’re professional and up front with you.

Nineteen Year Old San Diegan Gets Seven Years

Another example of the consequences of drinking and driving has hit San Diego once again…A nineteen-year-old by the name of Daniel Scott Hall pleaded guilty not too long ago to gross vehicular manslaughter in a hit-and-run incident that led to the death of Christopher McCallister.  Hall was intoxicated and was reported as having a blood alcohol level of .23 percent on the night he struck McCallister last June in Pacific Beach.

Christopher McCallister was in his last year of law school and was considered a “model” student – an athlete and student body president.  He even established a charity for children infected with AIDS.

Hall is being sentenced to seven years in prison – which is long enough time for Hall to really think about what he did.  His lawyer’s request to have a 90-day evaluation to see if jail is the appropriate sentence was unsuccessful.  The lawyer is reported as saying, “His remorse is extreme and absolute.”

Of course Hall won’t forget this incident.  It could possibly haunt him for the rest of his life.  However, I believe that he needs to be secluded from society so that he has time to really think about what he did.

What are your thoughts?

If you find yourself in this type of situation, be sure to hire a professional and experienced San Diego DUI lawyer.

A Teen Learns a Hard Lesson About Drinking and Driving

When we’re young we often don’t think about the consequences of our actions. This is what happened to Lorenzo Alejandro Silva, 18, who was driving drunk when the car crashed into another car and killed his friend Peter Phath. Another friend was injured and remains in a coma.

Silva has pleaded to gross vehicular manslaughter and other charges. The judge has given him 11 years in jail, which is quite a long time for a young person. If that doesn’t make you grow up quick…

The question here is: Is this a harsh sentence for this very young man? In my opinion, this is not a harsh sentence considering that his friend, Phath, was killed. Compare that to a man who was sentenced to life in prison for killing two people while drunk driving.

It’s amazing that the people that Silva ran into, Jay Wright and Mary Beth Cameron, feel no anger towards Silva. The two are trying to start a program called “Whole Family Healthy Teen” that will educate youth on the dangers of drunk driving. At least they are doing something proactive to help others instead of brooding in anger for the rest of their lives.

It’s disheartening to see these things happen, but that’s reality. If you’ve been caught driving under the influence in San Diego, contact an experienced San Diego DUI lawyer.

Do the San Diego Chargers Have to Be Good Role Models?

The football season is over and let’s hope that the San Diego Chargers will be good in the off season. “Good” meaning no DUIs, please! It seems like every time I looked at the news, a San Diego Charger player is being charged with a DUI or some other crazy issue. Is it just me, but don’t athletes have a responsibility to be a good role model to the kids who look up to them?

For example, San Diego Chargers’ Cletis Gordon was arrested recently for suspected drunk driving. But Gordon isn’t the only one with a tainted reputation. A few months back there was that incident with Steve Foley. Now Terrance Kiel faces a prison sentence if convicted for possession and transporting of a controlled substance.

Don’t the Chargers know that their actions impact their community?

Some may argue that it doesn’t matter what they do off the field. It’s what they do on the field that counts. As long as they win, right? After all, the Chargers are doing their jobs and they’re doing it pretty darn well this season. However, athletes still have a duty to be upstanding and good citizen role models.

Any thoughts?

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If you need help with your drunk driving case, contact San Diego DUI lawyer, Michael Richmond!