When facing a driving while intoxicated offense, there are options that may need to be considered regarding whether to take a plea bargain or have the case go to trial. Lawyer Richard S. Lawson can advise you of the likely consequences of either decision. When the DUI offense is very serious, such as when an accident with injuries has occurred, the stakes are much higher. Sometimes, the existence of an injury to another party may cause the judge or jury to find you guilty (even if you are innocent). Sometimes a person will take a plea bargain in order to avoid being convicted at trial. Many times we can get your case reduced to a lesser charge, such as reckless driving. The decision to enter into any plea bargain is made by you. We will counsel you as to all of the consequences of your decision to plea to any charge or to take your case to trial.

Plea offers to reckless driving are not offered automatically. In order to secure a reduction in your charges, your case must be thoroughly investigated. The purpose of the investigation is to find substantive legal problems with your case. Once those problems are found, your attorney will raise those issues in court in order to show the prosecutor that his case is compromised. If he agrees, he may then offer you a plea to reckless driving, or he may completely dismiss the case altogether. That is why it is important to have an attorney who has the knowledge and experience to find issues with the evidence against you. If the prosecutor will not dismiss the case, you may choose to go to trial and fight the charge. The trial will occur after The Law Offices of Richard S. Lawson has gathered compelling evidence that could exonerate you, or conclusively raise reasonable doubt about your guilt.

About Jury Trials and Hung Juries

In some jury trials, the jury cannot decide if there is enough evidence to convict you, and you will get a “hung jury.” If this happens, a new trial date will be set, and the process starts once again from the beginning. Some individuals want to bring the matter to a close and prefer not to face another trial. They may choose to enter into a plea bargain. Other times. the prosecutor may elect to dismiss the charges or offer a plea to reckless driving after a hung jury.

In some cases, taking the case to trial is the best option, as the evidence is faulty and there is strong defense evidence that can lead to being found not guilty. The legal team at The Law Offices of Richard S. Lawson seeks out every flaw in the case against you and surprisingly, there are often many openings for challenges to the evidence. As the firm focuses exclusively on driving while intoxicated cases, the background science and data gathered and the resources available to the lawyer defending you are substantial. Drawing upon past cases, new scientific data as it is released, and keeping up with the law and judgments in earlier cases can lead to a dismissed charge or a “not guilty” verdict in many cases. The firm will fight aggressively from the moment that you call, and is prepared to fight relentlessly on your behalf, no matter how serious the charge.