How To Select DWI Defense Lawyers
Lawyers advertise all over the place. The attorney section is one of the largest single sections in the phone book. Lawyer ads may even be placed on the back cover.
Searching for an attorney to handle your DWI defense can be confusing. Many lawyers promote themselves as DWI defense attorneys, but have no specialty in that area. Their sole reason for doing so is to have you plead guilty. Then you pay their retainer fees and you may never see them again. What criteria are important when selecting a DWI defense lawyer?
First, determine if your prospective lawyer has earned any special designations, certifications, or memberships. Any lawyer passing the bar exam can make the claim to be a DWI lawyer. Despite that, others who truly specialize in DWI law may have designations or memberships that differentiate them from the less experienced.
One membership to look for is the National College For DUI Defense. NCDD Board Certified members have passed a rigorous written and oral exam covering human physiology, criminal procedure, breath alcohol testing, and other procedures related to DWI defense.
Be sure the prospective lawyer is at least board certified. Most regular members of the NCDD do little more than pay annual dues for continued inclusion into the association.
Another membership to search for is the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. NACDL is a group that embraces all areas of criminal defense laws, the members of this group are likely to be some of the better attorneys in your state.
When you find attorneys with these certifications, dig deeper to find out if they have taken any further specialized or advanced training. Any accredited training course will issue certificates for those successfully completing the course. If in doubt, as to see these certifications, and check their expiration dates.
An example of further specialized training is the NHTSA Standardized Field Sobriety Test. This training teaches both students and practitioners the proper way to conduct field sobriety tests. This knowledge is vital when attempting to refute officer testimony in court.
Surprisingly, this course is taken by both law enforcement and DWI defense attorneys.
Another advanced course that DWI attorneys can take is a breath instrument training course. This course delineates breath instrument analyzers, proper usage, limitations of the devices, and related topics.
Note that advanced training and/or designations do not automatically make your attorney into a great DWI defense lawyer. Bad attorneys can take classes and be members of associations too. On the other hand, outstanding DWI defense lawyers might are not necessarily members of any associations and possibly have not have taken any advanced training classes outlined, but this is rare in the case of an experienced DWI attorney.
Maybe the best you can evaluate a DWI defense attorney is by reputation and standing in the both the legal community, and also in the courtroom. After you determine which courtroom and judge your case is assigned to, visit that courtroom and view some cases. During recesses, try to speak with court personnel, talk with the bailiff, or converse with the court reporter.
Ask these courtroom staff members which lawyer they would hire if they faced a DWI conviction. Ask their opinions on potential firms or attorney names you're considering, because they might not be willing to give you specific names.
Instead, they may be more comfortable answering yes or no questions rather than appearing to endorse one attorney or another. You may also wish to speak with are the actual police officers who are routinely questioned by the defense attorneys during cases.
This article is ©2006 by Doug Smith, who provides many free and valuable articles on DWI Arrests. Learn more about DWI arrests, DWI attorneys, your DWI rights, the dangers of drinking and driving, and much more DWI information at http://DWI.FindCarsForHire.com. This article may be freely reprinted as long as this copyright notice remains intact, the article is unchanged, and all hyperlinks remain active and clickable.
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