Choosing the right lawyer is the single most important decision in a DUI case.
General criminal practice lawyers are those who defend all type crimes. There are specialist who defend violent felonies and are considered great lawyers because of their skills in this area. They often attract notoriety because of the high profile cases they handle. However, the vast majority of general criminal practice lawyers do not have the specialized training to defend DUI cases.
Beware of lawyers who have large adds in the phone book or use other media for advertising. That type of advertising cost thousands of dollars which gets passed on to clients in the form of exorbitant fees.
Questions to ask a potential DUI Lawyer, as answered by FIELDS LAW FIRM.
- How many years of DUI case experience do you have ?
I have been defending DUI cases over 30 years. - How many continuing legal education (CLE) hours of DUI courses did you take within the past 5 years ?
I have taken over 300 hours of exclusive DUI courses. - How many DUI cases have you handled in the past 5 years ?
I’ve handled over 500 cases in the past 5 years. - How many DUI jury trials have you had ?
My answer; I’ve had over 50 DUI jury trials. - How many DUI case have you won ?
In over 30 years of practice I’ve won over 700 cases through dismissals at preliminary hearings, motion hearings and trials. - What percentage of your practice is DUI defense ?
My answer; 95% of my practice is DUI defense. - What training do you have about how the Intoxilyzer works?
I am a certified Operator and Maintenance Technician - Do you own an Intoxilyzer?
I have owned an Intoxilyzer for a number of years and use it during trials to cross examine police officers and explain to juries why it doesn’t work correctly. - Are you certified in Fields Sobriety Testing (FSTs)
I have the same certification for FST administration as police officers do which enables me to find and expose the errors they commit.