
DWI First offense in Louisiana
Driving under the influence (DUI) is a serious offense. It’s important to understand your rights and options if you’re facing a DWI offense.
Determine if you need a lawyer
If you are facing a DWI charge, and it’s your first time, it is highly recommended that you speak with an attorney before deciding what to do next. As noted above, there are many factors that can affect how long your license suspension will be and whether or not you need to install an ignition interlock device on your car (which also costs money). An experienced DWI lawyer can help guide these decisions based on their knowledge of the law and what defenses may apply in your particular situation.
Understand your options
You have a few options, and you should consider them all carefully. The first thing to do is figure out if you want to fight the charge or not. If so, then it’s time to talk with a lawyer about your options for fighting the DWI. You may be able to get your case dismissed by arguing that there was insufficient evidence against you or that police made procedural mistakes during their investigation. On the other hand, if this isn’t an option for some reason (e.g., because there was indeed enough evidence), then your best bet might be entering into a diversion program instead of fighting it in court.
You could also choose another option: paying fines and moving forward with life as usual! This doesn’t mean that everything will go back exactly as they were before, but there are ways around this problem too–for example, by taking driving classes or getting an ignition interlock device installed on their car(s).
Make sure you know what you’re accused of
The first step to handling your first DWI offense is to make sure you know what you’re accused of. You can do this by reading the police report or asking for a copy from the judge or prosecutor.
- What’s a DWI? A DWI is driving while intoxicated, which means operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of any substance that impairs your ability to operate it safely. Alcohol is one such substance–it’s legal in all states except Utah (and even then only if you’re over 21). But other drugs may also be considered impairing enough for prosecution under state laws: marijuana, cocaine, and heroin are common examples in many places; prescription drugs like Xanax fall into this category as well–if someone has taken enough pills that their BAC exceeds .08%, they could face charges even if they weren’t drinking alcohol at all!
Understand the possible consequences
Once you’ve been arrested for DWI, you can expect the following possible consequences:
- Jail time. In Texas, a first-time offender may be sentenced to up to 180 days in jail. If you have prior convictions on your record and are charged with a second or third offense within five years of your first conviction, however, you could face up to two years in prison.
- This means that if convicted of DWI and sentenced by a judge (as opposed to pleading guilty or no contest), the court will order probation as part of its sentence in addition to penalties like fines and community service hours; if violated while on probation, further penalties will apply (such as jail time).
- Fines -These vary widely depending on whether it’s your first offense or not; generally speaking though, they’ll be somewhere between $500-$1,000 dollars per count related specifically towards driving under influence charges such as operating motor vehicle while intoxicated ($100-$200), failure/refusal test (.08 BAC level) ($250) driving while license suspended($500). Additionally there may be additional costs associated with mandatory alcohol assessment programs like AA classes ($150) along with license reinstatement fees which range anywhere from $125 -$175 depending upon how long since last conviction occurred.”
Research your lawyer
When you are charged with a DWI, it is important to have an experienced attorney on your side. Look for someone who has been in practice for many years and has handled hundreds of cases like yours. Don’t just focus on their experience, though; also consider how their reputation has been established during those years of legal practice.
Another thing to consider is whether or not they have any formal education in DUI defense law or alcohol abuse counseling because these two areas are critical when handling your case. The fact that an attorney attended law school does not mean that he or she knows everything there is about this complex area of criminal prosecution!
It is important to have a criminal defense lawyer when facing a DWI offense.
If you have been charged with a DWI offense, it is important to have a criminal defense lawyer represent you. This is because:
- Your rights will be protected by your lawyer. If the police do not follow proper procedures, this could affect the outcome of your case. Your lawyer will know what those procedures are and how they apply in your situation, so that he or she can make sure that they are followed correctly as much as possible.
- The charges against you will be explained in more detail by your lawyer than they would be by an officer who has no legal training or experience in these matters (and may even have his/her own agenda). Your lawyer will help ensure that there are no misunderstandings between yourself and law enforcement officers about what happened during their investigation into whether or not driving under the influence occurred; this includes clarifying questions such as whether or not there was enough probable cause for them even being able to stop someone’s vehicle without having seen any signs themselves beforehand which would lead them towards believing such behavior was occurring – especially since some states require drivers suspected of drunk driving offenses first enter into sobriety testing before being arrested themselves!
- Possible consequences for DWI offenses vary widely depending upon which state one lives within; thus having legal representation when trying cases like these becomes essential when considering whether sentencing options include fines only versus jail time plus other penalties such as probation periods where applicable.”
The most important thing you can do is to hire a lawyer from Rose Legal Services LLC and make sure that he or she is experienced in handling DWI cases. You want someone who knows the law and has experience defending people against these charges so that they will be able to help you throughout the process.