Avoiding Harsh Penalties You Could Face After a Deptford DUI Arrest by Hiring a Lawyer

A lot of people think that hiring legal services after a DUI arrest is expensive and unnecessary. But it is the opposite. An experienced Deptford DUI lawyer will work hard to reduce your penalties, which will save you money. Plus, DUI cases usually raise complex problems that only a skilled lawyer can address. 

A DUI arrest has a lot of possible consequences in New Jersey. Thankfully, there are many potential defenses. An attorney can give you aggressive legal representation. 

Understanding Drunk Driving Offenses in NJ

DUI and DWI in the state are used interchangeably. DUI charges are possible if you were driving under the influence of alcohol regardless of BAC and if you have at least 0.08 percent BAC, no matter whether the alcohol influenced your driving capabilities or not. 

Aside from facing DUI charges, you can face charges for extra offenses like possession of open containers, DUI with a minor as a passenger, underage drunk driving, and more. 

Drunk Driving Penalties

Your possible penalties for a DUI depend on factors like your DUI history and the existence of aggravating factors involved in your arrest. For instance, a first DUI offense can come with penalties like up to $400 fines, indefinite license forfeiture, insurance surcharges, alcohol education, ignition interlock device installation, and jail time. 

How You Can Be Convicted of DUI

The prosecutors in your case should prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Thus, your attorney does not have to prove your innocence, so you can avoid a conviction. Rather, your attorney will only prevent the prosecutor from proving you are guilty. 

However, this does not mean your attorney can take it easily. Under state law, prosecutors have 2 ways to prove that you must be convicted of DUI. They can show that you were driving a motor vehicle while being intoxicated with substances like alcohol or drugs or that you were driving a motor vehicle with at least 0.08% BAC. The prosecution doesn’t have to prove both to get you convicted of DUI. 

This is the reason you need a skilled DUI attorney on your side. The best attorney will scrutinize the evidence of the prosecution and determine all the necessary steps to protect you. If your arresting officer can testify that you were operating a motor vehicle dangerously, then it’s not enough to challenge your BAC reading. Similarly, you can be convicted of DUI if the prosecutor can show that you refused the breath test.