You have been charged with DUI. You know that you are facing fines, license suspension, and even potential jail time. Maybe this is your first DUI citation, or maybe it is your fourth. The trust is that many DUI offenders are alcoholics, but they don’t know how to deal with their situation. For the following reasons, it is a good idea to tell your DUI attorney if you know or think you have an alcohol problem.
1) Establish Trust.
Telling your DUI attorney from the outset a fact that is not easy to admit will provide instant trust to your lawyer-client relationship. Your DUI attorney is one of several people that can provide you immediate assistance after you are charged with DUI. You want to get off on the right foot, and you always want to be honest with your attorney. This gives you the best opportunity to create a strategy for your defense and your life.
2) Sentencing Alternatives.
Many jurisdictions offer sentences that don’t include jail time or hefty fines. If one of the goals of the criminal system is rehabilitation, then DUI defendants are prime candidates to target with that goal in mind. Diversion programs, substance abuse classes, driving schools, and other education-based programs are a better alternative to locking someone up, letting them out, and having them drive drunk again.
3) Easier to Help.
Your DUI attorney will have a hard time helping you if he or she doesn’t know what kind of help you need. By admitting that you have a problem, your DUI attorney can then seek help from different sources, and not necessarily the court. A good DUI attorney will have resources available to utilize, and contacts that could help you with both your tendency to drive after drinking and with your alcohol problem as a whole.
4) Your Life May Depend On It.
More than anything, your DUI attorney has the proverbial keys to your life (pun intended). Continually driving under the influence of alcohol not only endangers the lives of other innocent strangers and friends, it also endangers your own life. For that reason alone, if you have a problem, you need to tell your DUI attorney who can provide solutions where needed.
It takes more than a good DUI attorney to help with an alcohol problem. But admitting to your DUI attorney that you are an alcoholic is a good stepping stone in the process of solving that problem. Additionally, you will have laid the foundation for defending your DUI case and, together with your attorney, you can create a strategy moving forward.
DUI laws vary from state to state, and you should consult with an attorney if you receive a DUI citation. If you are in need of help for a DUI in Maryland or DC, contact a Maryland DUI attorney or DC DUI attorney.
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