Your First Interview With an Attorney
If you hire a Sacramento DUI attorney, your first interview will probably take place at his law office. Three things will happen during your first interview: (1) your attorney will ask you questions about the events that occurred before, during, and after your arrest; (2) he will educate you about the DUI charge, the penalties that will ensue if you’re convicted, and what your chances for getting acquitted are; and (3) he will start preparing for your defense.
It’s important for you to give your Sacramento DUI attorney a detailed account, in chronological order, of all the facts about your arrest. Your chronology of the events should start several hours before your arrest and end with your release from police custody. Don’t forget to include such details as what you ate or drank prior to your arrest and the type and quantity of alcoholic drinks you consumed. You will also want to note the period of time over which you drank these alcoholic beverages.
2. Provide Personal Information, Including Your Prior Criminal RecordGive your lawyer pertinent personal information, such as your name, address, phone number, marital status, business, height, and weight. In addition, you should provide your attorney with a history of your any previous contact with law enforcement, including prior motor vehicle violations or other criminal convictions. Even though you might feel embarrassed providing this kind of information, it’s important for your lawyer to know because:
- Your Sacramento DUI attorney must go through this information, confirm that it’s correct, and make sure that you’re telling the truth;
- Having any prior convictions on your criminal record will influence whether you can or will want to negotiate a plea deal; and
- It might become necessary for your lawyer to attack the validity of your prior DUI convictions if you’re found guilty on this present DUI charge. This is because prior DUI convictions often mean you’ll get a mandatory jail sentence.
If you’ve been arrested for driving under the influence, don’t panic. Sacramento DUI attorney Param S. Pabla may be able to help.