Hiring a lawyer to defend you in a DUI case is stressful and challenging. The good news is there are a handful of very qualified firms in the Miami-Dade area and you should meet with a few of them before making your decision.
Experience, Experience, Experience
The only way for young lawyers to get the right experience in how to successfully
handle DUI cases is to either work for the Public Defender’s Office
or the State Attorney’s Office right out of law school. These two
offices are the training grounds for the most successful future criminal
defense lawyers in Miami. As a young lawyer, it is critical to form the
right habits in how to defend a case, and to learn how to take a case
all the way to trial. As a Public Defender, young lawyers gain the additional
skill of cross-examination, which means questioning the Police Officers
in the case to show both sides of the argument. It is also important your
lawyer spent a few years training in one of these offices, not just a
few months.
Keeping it Local
Handling cases in several different jurisdictions might be good financially for a law firm, but keeping your caseload local allows lawyers to specialize in one specific jurisdiction and build relationships that last a lifetime. The Judges and prosecutors play a very important role in your DUI case as to its eventual resolution.
Knowing how a Judge might rule on a certain issue, or how a prosecutor will respond to a certain argument, could be the different in getting your DUI dismissed or reduced to reckless driving. Also, knowing the various members of law enforcement in the specific jurisdiction can be helpful in cross examination.
Two Heads are better than one
DUI Defense takes creativity. A law firm with a handful of lawyers could be the difference in spotting the one issue in your case necessary in order to achieve a good result. It is a great idea to have several different lawyers read the reports in your case, and to see what issues jump out off the page, if any. The initial report is preliminary, remember you will hire an attorney before the other reports are made available to the public.
