1.23.2014

Why You Shouldn’t Automatically Plead Guilty to Drunk Driving

Written by: The Law Offices of Garrett T. Ogata

Being arrested for a DUI in Las Vegas means penalties, like jail time, fines, and the suspension of your driver’s license. Unfortunately, most defendants don’t realize the options at their disposal to fight a DUI charge, and they don’t know the consequences of something like a guilty plea during the plea bargaining process. While you might avoid some penalties, or get a reduction in their severity, there are other consequences to keep in mind when you plead guilty to a DUI charge. That’s where the services of a qualified Las Vegas DUI attorney can help.

Consider some of the serious unintended consequences of a guilty plea. For one thing, a plea could result in restitution, fees, court costs, and other administrative expenses that you would have otherwise avoided. Worse still, if your DUI involved serious harm to another party, the guilty plea could help prosecution in an accompanying civil suit. The guilty plea could also hurt your ability to seek employment, cause you to lose professional licenses or stature in your field, and result in the loss of housing, custody of your children, and more. The main takeaway is that you should determine if you have a legitimate defense which could help you get a better outcome in the case, without resorting to a guilty plea. Do this by seeking the counsel of a competent Las Vegas DUI lawyer. Only a good attorney can advise you on whether there are other reasonable avenues to take besides a guilty plea and the inevitable consequences of that decision.

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