Unknown DUI Lawyers

1. Tampa DUI Lawyer: Police officers and prosecuting attorneys want the public to believe that when you have failed a Standard Field Sobriety test, you may as well have admitted guilt to your DUI charges. In reality though, these tests are not a good measure of intoxication and should be contemplated with contempt, if at all. A good Tampa field sobriety tests defense lawyer can help demonstrate the unreliability of a field sobriety test at your trial. Here are some facts you should know about the Field Sobriety Tests: These tests are voluntary. If you refuse to take the tests, the only consequence is the officer will testify that you declined to take them. A good Tampa field sobriety tests defense attorney can explain why you exercised your right to deny a voluntary test and will demonstrate how inaccurate the tests are. If you take the test, youÕll probably be arrested. Officers who give these tests arrest 98% of people who take them. They will use and exaggerate any errors in the test taking procedure. Do you lose a little balance after standing on one leg for 30 seconds? That means you fail. Do you take any prescription medications? You may fail the vision test. If an officer asks you to take a field sobriety test, say no. DonÕt provide any evidence to be used against you. The tests are not accurate. When taken under perfect circumstances, the tests are only around 90% accurate, leaving one out of ten people with an inaccurate result. Studies have shown that over 98% of officers perform these tests wrong or are not trained to administer them -meaning that in practice, these tests have practically no reliability. There are only three acceptable tests. Although there were originally a multitude of tests developed to demonstrate a person was intoxicated, most of them were shown to be highly inaccurate. As a result, only the three most accurate tests are allowed in the courtroom as evidence. The officer may perform other tests when they pull someone over, but they will not be used in court. The only three acceptable tests involve walking and turning, standing on one leg and the following a finger or pen with your eyes.
2. Hutton, Thomas: FloridaÕs D.U.I. laws are complicated and being convicted of D.U.I. can have serious consequences that will follow you for the rest of your life. Whether it be time spent in jail, the loss of a job, or the social stigma attached with being accused of a crime. Common DUI Mistakes The following is a list, compiled by Panama City DUI attorney Tom Hutton, of the 10 most common mistakes made by persons arrested for DUI. Avoid these mistakes: 1. Giving up and accepting a guilty plea from the prosecutor just so you can Òget this thing behind you.Ó A DUI conviction will follow you for the rest of your life. Simply accepting a guilty plea before fully investigating whether you have a shot at winning is short sighted. You may think that you are Ògetting on with your lifeÓ by accepting a guilty plea before speaking to an attorney but that is usually not accurate. You never know, Ògetting on with your lifeÓ might mean hiring an attorney and winning your case so you can Òget on with your lifeÓ without the baggage of a DUI conviction. 2. Hiring the Òfamily friend attorneyÓ or Òneighbor attorneyÓ to handle an area of law outside of her expertise. You wouldnÕt hire a foot doctor to operate on your heart. If you called Panama City DUI attorney Tom Hutton and asked him to represent you with a tax issue he would give you the name and number of a qualified tax attorney. He wouldnÕt represent you. Why? Because he does not regularly practice tax law and he knows that he would not serve the best interest of his client if he accepted the tax case. Think about that. 3. Failing to apply for an Administrative Hearing to keep your license within the Ò10-dayÓ time period set by the state of Florida. If you miss the deadline you cannot go back and apply for this important hearing. If you contact him in time Tom Hutton can actually extend the amount of time that you can drive on your temporary permit and perhaps even keep your license from being suspended at all. 4. Mistakenly believing that a result of .08 or higher means you cannot fight your DUI arrest. These cases are the bread and butter of a good DUI attorney and they can be won. While it is certainly more difficult to win a case with a breath result it is far from impossible. In addition, a DUI attorney might be able to have the results dismissed prior to trial. You wonÕt know unless you contact a Panama City DUI attorney to help you. 5. Continuing to drive when your license was suspended for DUI. DonÕt make matters worse by being arrested for driving on a suspended license while your DUI case is pending. 6. Failing to realize that police officers often violate your Constitutional Rights during a DUI arrest. Leave it to your Panama City DUI attorney to determine if evidence can be thrown out of court for a violation of your rights. 7. Mistakenly believing that you can adequately represent yourself in court for your DUI arrest. You could probably take out your own tonsils with a sharp knife too. But why would you try? Leave DUI law to the trained DUI attorney. DUI law is highly technical and your attorney knows how to get you through the process with as little harm done as possible. 8. Choosing to hire an attorney based solely upon what he will charge to represent you. YouÕve heard the adage Òyou get what you pay forÓ and it is true. Now is not the time to value shop. 9. Believing that hiring an attorney is more costly than accepting a guilty plea for DUI. This is far from the truth. Your DUI attorney will charge you a one-time fee. A DUI conviction will follow you forever and will pop up when you: apply for health, life, or auto insurance; apply for a new job or try to keep your current job; apply for admission to college, grad school, or a professional license; even when you apply for credit or a loan. 10. Talking to the prosecutor or police officer about your case before hiring a DUI attorney to help you. The police officer or prosecutor might actually be a nice person Ð but that doesnÕt matter. He or she has a job to do and that job is making sure that you are convicted of DUI. If youÕre going to talk to someone and trust someone then make sure it is your attorney. Your attorney is in your corner and it is his job, and his sworn duty, to protect you.