How You Can Challenge Your Colorado DUI Charges
Individuals who are arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) across the state of Colorado are often concerned about the impact these charges and possible conviction will have on the rest of their lives. Whether they are pulled over and arrested in Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs, or anywhere else in the state, the penalties are generally the same – license suspension or revocation, high monetary fines and, most distressing, the possibility of serving jail time.
At DUIRights.com, we specialize in building you a strong defense and fighting your DUI charges in the hopes of getting your life back on track. One of our DUI Advocates will evaluate the case and uncover evidence that can be used to defend you. During most DUI arrests, the individual’s rights are violated in some way – by uncovering this information, your Advocate will recommend the best course of action when it comes to handling your case and will move through the process with you from beginning to end.
How to Fight a License Suspension
License suspension is often a point of major concern for those individuals arrested for DUI or DWI. In order to have the lowest amount of impact on your driving rights, it is important to fight this suspension as soon as possible. Once you have been arrested and notified of your license suspension, it is important to go to court and petition to have the suspension rescinded as soon as possible. It is possible, in some cases, to have the license suspension rescinded while the DUI case is ongoing.
Knowing Your Colorado DUI Arrest Rights
Regardless of where in Colorado you were arrested for DUI or what the circumstances surrounding the case are, it is important to know and understand your DUI rights. Once you know your rights, it is much easier to determine if they were violated, making it easier for you and your DUI Advocate to build a case against the prosecution and help to defend you in court. If you do not know your DUI rights, you can ask yourself the following questions and share this information with your Advocate:
- What reason did the arresting officer have to make a traffic stop? Did you violate a driving law or were you driving erratically?
- Did the arresting officer make the traffic stop while the vehicle was in motion? Were you driving/in the vehicle when the officer pulled you over?
- Did the arresting officer administer a field sobriety test during the traffic stop? Was it administered properly?
- Did any outside forces or inclement weather conditions affect the results of your field sobriety testing?
- Were you administered a Breathalyzer test? How long after you last drink were you given this test?
- Did the arresting officer explain your rights or recite your Miranda Rights when you were placed under arrest?
- Were there any witnesses to your driving or to the traffic stop other than the arresting officer? Were their observations the same as the officer’s?
The answers to these questions will help to uncover if your rights were violated in any way. Your DUI Advocate will use this information in your case in hopes of being able to have the case dismissed or the charges reduced.
Protect your rights and learn how to get your Colorado DUI charges dismissed. Get Started Now by filling out the Free DUI Arrest Evaluation form to get the answers you need.
DUI Rights Attorneys in Colorado
Mothers Against Drunk Driving classifies Colorado as a “five star” state due to its DUI conviction penalties. Colorado uses sobriety checkpoints to catch intoxicated drivers and a program to help eliminate refusal of blood-alcohol concentration testing. Individuals arrested for DUI have their driver licenses suspended immediately. Those who are convicted lose their licenses for months, pay fines up to $1,000, may need to install ignition interlock devices in their cars, and could go to jail.
Reasons to Hire a Colorado DUI Attorney
Hiring an attorney can help individuals wrongly accused of DUI prove their innocence but the outcome often hinges on the type of attorney retained. While a public defender is readily available at little or no cost, this lawyer may not have much experience with DUI cases and may be eager to avoid a courtroom. Reaching a settlement is not the most appealing outcome for someone falsely charged of DUI.
A lawyer who handles DUI cases for a living tends to be much more invested in the outcome. DUI attorneys do not carry the heavy caseloads that public defenders do, allowing them to spend more time researching each situation and identifying evidence that creates reasonable doubt. These lawyers devote many hours to putting together a strong defense that stands up to accusations made by the prosecution.
An initial DUI conviction in Colorado costs the offender more than $10,000. With so much on the line, an individual accused of DUI should retain an attorney with a history of success. Many DUI lawyers are able to get cases dismissed due to lack of evidence or errors made during the DUI arrest or testing process. If their clients plead guilty, these attorneys often convince courts to substitute lenient penalties for some time in jail.
How to Find a Colorado DUI Attorney
While a court appoints a public defender, a defendant must locate a DUI attorney. DUIRights.com makes this easy via its arrest evaluation request. An individual charged with DUI simply completes a short electronic form and our advocates do the rest. We match each request with a DUI attorney practicing within that state and the lawyer then reaches out to the requester.
After discussing case details, the attorney will recommend next steps. If the defendant wishes to retain the lawyer, a fee agreement will be prepared and once accepted, defense casework will begin. By the date of the DUI hearing, the defendant will be confident of achieving the most positive outcome possible.
Learn More about Colorado DUI Laws and Penalties
