If I am likely going to plead guilty because my BAC is assuredly over the legal limit, why hire an attorney at all?

As I regularly tell my clients, in each and every there is a reasonable range of potential outcomes. In short, the greater and wider that range of outcomes is, the more likely a trained, knowledgeable criminal defense attorney can be of help in mitigating the consequences. I often tell clients that if your BAC is under .012 (i.e., within “shouting distance” of the legal limit) then you need a criminal defense attorney. Similarly, if your BAC is greater than .018, more than likely you will want to consult a criminal defense attorney because your enhanced BAC level subjects you to potentially more severe and advanced penalties by statute, including an Alcohol and Substance Abuse Evaluation.

Where the outcome is most in doubt, a criminal defense attorney can make the difference between a set of requirements you can live with and an onerous set of burdens you’ll be ill-equipped to complete, setting you up for failure. The good news is most DUIs are misdemeanors but the bad news is DUIs are amongst the most serious of all misdemeanor offenses and, unlike most other misdemeanor criminal offenses, DUIs carry enhanced penalties for subsequent convictions within 7 years.