Article Written By: Richard H Wall
The state of Oklahoma endorses strict prohibition on driving, operating or being in actual physical control of a vehicle when your blood contains a certain percent of alcohol or greater. Also you are not to drive a car under the influence of alcohol or any other intoxicating substance that weakens your driving skills. Under such circumstances, if you have been accused of DWI (Driving while Intoxicated) or DUI (Diving under Influence) charges, consult an attorney immediately to escape from severe legal consequences that can lead to imprisonment or cancellation of driving license. Sometimes drivers are wrongfully accused of drunken driving, where such legal defense is very useful A drunken driving charge in Oklahoma can lead two kinds of cases. The first is a criminal case, where you can be given a variety of criminal punishments by the court. These punishments range from heavy penalties, jail, mandatory alcohol education, ignition interlock devices ordered, and more. The second is a civil action whereby your driving license can be revoked. Drunken driving charges in the state are based on either of the two theories. In the first one a case will be filed if someone is driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The law decides whether a person was under the influence of alcohol by determining if his driving abilities were impaired by consuming liquor. The second kind of charge will be filed based on the body chemistry. A person might be driving well, but he will violate the law by driving with a blood or breathe alcohol level of .08% BAC or more.For a first time offender in drunken driving case, the punishment could be up to one year of jail, 480 hours of community service, and ignition interlock on all vehicles. Intensity of punishments for people with past records of drunken driving convictions will increase substantially.Now how to hire a good attorney, who will extricate you from all the mess you are in. Well, always remember, all lawyers are not equal in terms of their integrity. There are some who will try to gull you that you will not realize in your vulnerable state. So beware of them. Don't go for lawyers who plead their clients. You need not necessarily plead guilty as charged. Always hire experienced lawyer who has dealt with hundreds of such cases in the past, therefore he knows ways to create a win-win situation. Always see if he is qualified enough as a lawyer. Be ready for a heavy fee. Hiring lawyers is generally expensive. But it is always wise to hire a qualified DUI lawyer. This is because he knows your legal rights with respect to the particular charge against you. He will be able to prevent you from self-incriminating yourself or any other mistakes you might commit. Moreover, if the charges are serious enough he will know how to protect you from the clutches of legal consequences. He knows how to approach judges, juries and the prosecution, which will make things smooth for you.
This Article Has Been Published on Tue, 5 Jan 2010 and Read 157 Times