Top-Rated DUI Attorney in Lafayette, IN
Flashing red and blue lights in your review mirror can signal the beginning of a long and potentially costly ordeal. Indiana takes a zero-tolerance approach to driving under the influence (DUI), and a first conviction can lead to the loss of your freedom and other setbacks. When you work with a Lafayette DUI lawyer, you can greatly reduce the chances that you will face serious penalties. Legal support can lead to the right defense strategy for contesting your charges.
Dedicated Defense for Drunk Driving Charges
Being charged with a DUI does not mean that you will ultimately face a serious conviction. When you work with the award-winning Lafayette criminal defense lawyer team at The Criminal Defense Team, you gain the support of dedicated defense attorneys who can manage massive discovery to find the right approach to contesting your charges. Please keep in mind that awards are not guarantees of future results. Selection criteria vary by organization.
Five of the state’s six Board-Certified Criminal Trial Specialists work for our firm.
What sets our law firm apart is the team-based approach we take to handling complex criminal cases, including DUIs. When you work with our firm, you are connected to at least two prosecutors and a dedicated paralegal. At every step of your case, we maintain close communication, so you are never left in the dark on important matters.
Understanding DUI Charges in Lafayette
Even modest levels of alcohol can impair brain function and a driver’s ability to operate a vehicle safely. Every day, roughly 28 people are killed due to drunk driving. In Indiana, anyone found to have a blood alcohol limit of 0.08% can be arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. A first-time offense can lead to:
- Detention and transportation to the nearest jail
- A car search and towing at your expense
- Confinement in jail until bail is posted
A conviction can lead to court fees, a fine of up to $5,000, the suspension of your license, jail time, and probation restrictions. DUIs contribute to Lafayette’s crime rate of 21.48 per 1,000 residents in a normal year, and repeat offenders can face enhanced penalties.
Defense Strategies for Contesting DUI Allegations
Being charged with a DUI does not mean that you will ultimately face a serious criminal conviction. After your arrest, remain cooperative with the police, but do not discuss specifics. Law enforcement is trained to ask questions like “Where have you been, and have you been drinking?”
You have the right to remain silent and to seek legal representation. Once you secure legal support, your defense lawyer can review the evidence to find instances where law enforcement may have violated your rights and other potentially favorable findings. If you were pulled over near Vinton Highlands, Murdock Park, or elsewhere for no valid reason, that could constitute a violation of your Fourth Amendment rights.
A defense attorney can also review bodycam footage to see how the stop was conducted and whether the results of a field sobriety test were inconclusive. If the breathalyzer used during the stop wasn’t properly calibrated, that could compromise the prosecution’s case. Breaks in the evidence’s chain of custody can also lead to favorable outcomes for your case.
Why You Should Hire a DUI Lawyer?
Whether you were pulled over along Sagamore Parkway South, South Creasy Lane, or elsewhere in Lafayette, your top priority should be to hire a DUI lawyer who understands the state’s DUI laws and how to shield you from serious DUI penalties. A Lafayette DUI attorney brings years of experience managing these types of cases, and they can explore viable strategies for contesting the accusations that you are facing.
Legal support can help you understand your options and the potential outcomes of your case. If your rights were violated, your attorney can take decisive steps by calling for evidence to be suppressed. An attorney can also carefully review the evidence and leverage weaknesses in the state’s case when pursuing reduced or dropped charges.
*Andrew Baldwin, Kathie Perry, Maxwell Wiley, Kelly Pyle, and Michael C. Cunningham are Board-Certified Criminal Trial Specialists, as certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Find out why having a Board-Certified* Criminal Trial Specialist as your defense lawyer is important here.
FAQs
Should I Contest a DUI Charge or Accept a Plea Agreement?
Any steps you take that mitigate the penalties that you are facing could shield you from potentially life-altering consequences. Any approach you take should be done in consultation with your defense attorney. If the prosecution does not offer a favorable plea bargain agreement, you have the option of rejecting that offer and contesting your charges. Prosecutors may not offer another deal, so these decisions should be thought through carefully.
Can a DUI Lawyer Help Get My Charges Reduced or Dismissed?
A DUI lawyer can take steps to have your charges reduced or even dismissed. Those outcomes typically result from the right defense strategy. When an attorney can cast doubt on the state’s case, that can lead to favorable outcomes, such as reduced or dismissed charges. Motions to suppress evidence, newly uncovered evidence, and other measures can protect your freedom during your DUI case.
How Often Are DUI Charges Dismissed in Indiana?
There is no statewide statistic showing how often DUI/OWI (operating while impaired) charges are dismissed in Indiana. Whether a case is dismissed depends on the specific facts and the strength of the prosecution’s evidence. Charges may be dismissed or reduced if law enforcement lacked reasonable suspicion or probable cause for the traffic stop, chemical or breath test results are unreliable, or testing procedures were not properly followed.
How Can a DUI Conviction Affect Your Future?
There are roughly 46,000 Indiana residents locked up behind bars, and a DUI conviction could lead to time in jail. Other potential penalties could include fines, the loss of driving privileges, orders to undergo substance abuse treatment, and mandatory use of an ignition interlock device. Having a criminal record can lead to work-related and personal setbacks as well.
Protect Your Freedom by Contacting an Indiana Criminal Defense Team Today
If you are facing DUI charges, you need legal support from a defense team that can get results. The Criminal Defense Team of Baldwin Perry & Wiley, P.C., is staffed by five of the six Board-Certified Criminal Trial Specialists in the state, which is a distinction only earned by 0.04% of defense attorneys in the state. Secure the high-quality legal representation that your case deserves. Contact our office today to schedule your initial consultation.