First Time DUI Charges in Anne Arundel County

Driving under the influence charges in Maryland are taken extremely seriously and can result in serious charges for those convicted. If it is your first DUI charge, the following is information you should know according to an Anne Arundel County DUI lawyer. Call today to schedule a free consultation with an attorney.

Geting In Touch With An Anne Arundel First DUI Lawyer

The first, and biggest, mistake after a first time DUI in Anne Arundel is not seeking a competent attorney immediately after the incident. An Anne Arundel first time DUI lawyer can be extremely helpful in the early days of a DUI. They can analyze whether or not it makes sense to request an administrative hearing and what’s the best course of action for an individual’s driver’s license. If an individual wants to continue driving until the date of their hearing then they must request an administrative hearing within 10 days of the date of the incident.

Alcohol Treatment Programs After A First Time DUI

First DUI lawyers in Anne Arundel County frequently see individuals not enrolling in alcohol treatment quickly enough. Enrollment in alcohol treatment is not an admission of guilt and it really does look good in presenting mitigation to a judge. If an individual enrolls in treatment within a week of the incident that looks much better than if an individual enrolls in alcohol treatment a day before court.

First Time DUI Penalties in Anne Arundel

First offense conviction for DUI has a maximum penalty of 1 year of incarceration and $1,000 fine. As an Anne Arundel first DUI lawyer can tell you, it’s very uncommon, almost unheard of, for any kind of first offender to receive anything like the maximum. However, that is the maximum for a DUI offense.
There’s also a lesser offense in Maryland called DWI. The maximum penalty for first offense DWI is 60 days of incarceration and a $500 fine. But again it’s very rare for any kind of first offender to receive that type of sentence.

How Anne Arundel First DUI Lawyers Can Help

Well the first thing that any good DUI lawyer is going to do is look at the facts of the case. An Anne Arundel first DUI attorney will examine the facts with an eye toward answering certain questions: Are there places to challenge the stop? Are there places to challenge the arrest?
Other ways to get scientific evidence, usually in the form of a breath test, excluded. So that’s going to be the first step in any kind of DUI analysis. If there is any kind of available defense, then your lawyer should investigate that and should present it effectively to either a judge or jury. If the case is not one where there is a winning defense, then a lawyer can still be extremely valuable in helping select a judge, advise which judge is reasonable, and which is not, as well as in presenting mitigation to the court and guiding a defendant through the process of obtaining treatment and how to make their case appear in the best light to the judge.