Would somebody necessarily need a lawyer to receive deferred judgement? Or could you just plead not guilty and request that they defer?
OWI first offense
- Thread starter cyclonestate
- Start date
Okay, you need to know the details. If no past, if under .15 BAC, and nothing else going on, just go with a public defender. Much cheaper, plus the jail time will be suspended, etc.
If there is a past, I would speak to a lawyer.
Define "the consequences". That's why you need a lawyer. Even if "guilty" the consequences can vary greatly.
Great advice though....
Exactly. Its not like there's one single sentence that everyone gets on a DUI.
Especially for a first offense where no one was hurt, it is right for the justice system to take into account whether or not someone is likely to be a danger to society or if this is likely to be an isolated incident, and treated accordingly.
The consequences are paying the fine. Getting the OWI on your record. And Looking like an idiot when you go to get a job with that on your record.
Yeah, no. And quite honestly, the punishments that have been brought in on DUIs in the last 20-30 years through both exponentially increasing sentencing and enforcement and through lowering of the standard of 'drunk' to .08 where it should not be, do not meet the severity of the crime by any means.
You clearly don't understand. The consequences are not set in stone. Nor are they always the same, even for similar cases. That's why it can be very helpful to get an attorney.
You obviously have no idea about the consequences of a DUI. But you touched on why its a necessity to get a lawyer, this could follow you for a long time. You get the fine, jail time, lose your license, pay several fees to get that back, increased insurance for several years, probationary license status which means you can't get any moving violation for 1 yr. The punishment for a potentially harmful action is less than if you actually assaulted someone, what sense does that make?
