Northern Virginia DUI lawyer urges fighting such charges tooth and nail

Northern Virginia DUI charges and all Virginia DUI cases should be fought tooth and nail. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know the fallout from a Virginia DUI conviction, including loss of liberty through possible jail time and through probation supervision (and, therefore, risk of future jail for any probation violation finding); loss of driving privileges with stingy restricted driving privileges with the ignition interlock when granted; risks to security clearances; risks to such professionals as military members, police officers and health care professionals; risks to non-United States citizens; and harm to one’s reputation.

Virginia DUI charges call for obtaining a qualified defense lawyer

If all of the above were not enough reason fully to fight Virginia DUI/DWI charges, Virginia also is the land of severe jail and license loss penalties for repeat DUI convictions and for designated elevated blood alcohol content thresholds. Consequently, it makes no sense to simply go to court without a lawyer when not expecting any jail time if convicted (even if that expectation turns out to be correct), when considering the importance of a lawyer to work to beat the charge in the first place, to advocate for no active jail time if convicted, to pursue the most extensive restricted driving privileges if convicted.

A Virginia DUI charge needs to be seen not as a punch in the gut but as an opportunity to pursue ways to beat the charge, or in the alternative to obtain the best possible result.

Northern Virginia DUI lawyer points out that fighting a DUI charge starts before an arrest ever takes place

While it is essential for a Virginia DUI defendant to obtain a qualified lawyer, before ever being arrested the Virginia DUI suspect needs to know the importance of his or her right to remain silent with the police, to refuse the handheld preliminary breath test (distinguished from the mandatory breath test at the jail or police station), and to refuse field sobriety tests (while the police officer may testify at trial that the tests were refused).

A person charged with Virginia DUI is going to go up against an experienced prosecutor, and will be at a serious disadvantage not to go to trial with a qualified lawyer.

Virginia DUI lawyer/ Fairfax criminal attorney Jon Katz has successfully defended hundreds of DUI defendants since 1991. To discuss your Virginia DUI or other criminal case with Jon, please call his staff at 703-383-1100 to schedule a confidential consultation.