Why You Need a Raleigh DWI Lawyer

North Carolina treats Driving While Impaired (DWI) charges harshly. The Raleigh District Attorney (the Wake County District Attorney) has a firm policy against dismissing DWI charges, even for people who have never been in trouble with the law. If you find yourself charged with a DWI offense in Raleigh, Cary, Apex or other parts of the Research Triangle, call Raleigh criminal lawyer Damon Chetson at (919) 352-9411.

If you’ve been charged with a DWI in Raleigh, Cary, Apex or other Wake County communities, it is important that you talk to a tough, aggressive and thorough Raleigh DWI lawyer as soon as possible. That’s because a DWI conviction is a criminal conviction can have serious consequences for you and your family.

In addition, acting quickly can get you your driving privileges back so that you can drive to work, drive to school, and live your life as you were before the arrest occurred. Call (919) 352-9411 to talk to Raleigh, Cary, and Apex DWI lawyer Damon Chetson weekdays, evenings, weekends or Holidays about how to protect your rights.

Possible Results of a North Carolina DWI Conviction

  • Possible Jail Time
  • Loss of your Driver’s License
  • Costly Fines
  • Burdensome and Costly Community Service Requirements
  • Requirements that you undergo costly Alcohol Treatment Programs
  • Expensive and Intrusive Interlock Systems for your car or vehicle
  • A criminal conviction for the rest of your life
  • Increased insurance rates or loss of insurance

If you’re a young person who has been charged with a DWI, a conviction may also affect applications for college, scholarships, your ability to participate in sports, or your ability to pursue certain careers, including the Law. In addition, people under the age of 21 who are caught drinking while driving may face provisional DWIs, which are also known as “Baby” DWIs. Make no mistake about it: Provisional DWIs also carry harsh penalties.

Mandatory Results of an NC DWI Conviction

In North Carolina, a DWI conviction will result in at least a 1-year suspension of your license, 24 hours of community services, possible fines, and other fines and costs. In addition, a DWI conviction can affect your employment, your ability to be hired, and your ability to provide for your family.

In addition, if you blow a .08 or above at the time of your arrest, your license is automatically and immediately suspended for 30 days from the time of arrest. You may apply within 10 days of the suspension to have it lifted so long as you do not have other pending DWI offenses, and if you have taken and provide the Court with proof of a substance assessment.

If you live out-of-state and have an out-of-state driver’s license, that state will probably honor NC’s suspension and also suspend your license for at least 30 days, although, if you have that suspension lifted in NC by acting quickly, the suspension will probably be lifted in other states.

Is there hope? Yes! In America, you have rights!

A qualified Raleigh DWI lawyer can help you, whether you’re young or old, avoid these and other harmful consequences. A good Cary, Apex, and Raleigh DWI lawyer will not be cheap. But a good Apex, Cary, and Raleigh DUI lawyer is surprisingly affordable and will help you defend your rights.

You have rights at the time of your arrest. The police have certain obligations to you at the time of your arrest. The failure of the police to honor those obligations or mistakes by the police during your arrest may help you avoid conviction.

You also have rights after your arrest. An important right is your right to have a jury trial. In the United States, people are innocent until proven guilty, and the same goes for DUI charges.

You have the right to have your case heard by a jury of your peers. It’s up to you to exercise your rights by hiring a Raleigh, Cary, and Apex DUI lawyer who is eager to defend you in front of the District Attorney, and before a judge and jury of your peers.

Why You Should – Must! – Hire a Raleigh, Cary, and Apex DWI lawyer Lawyer

Given what’s at stake, you should not – must not! – pass up the opportunity for free advice over the phone, or in person, with Raleigh, Cary, and Apex DUI lawyer Damon Chetson.

Contact Raleigh, Cary, and Apex DWI lawyer Damon Chetson at (919) 352-9411 weekdays, evenings, weekends or Holidays for free advice on how you can best prepare for your DWI charges.

Cary, Apex, and Raleigh DWI lawyer Damon Chetson will prepare your case for trial – not just for a District Court trial – but for Superior Court trial where Mr. Chetson will require that the prosecutor prove every single element of his case to a jury, including:

  • Did the police have “probable cause” to stop you?
  • Did the police have reason to suspect you were impaired?
  • If the police arrived late, can they prove you were the driver?
  • Did the police officer have you properly complete the required roadside exams – walking the line, horizontal gaze test, balance test?
  • Did the conditions – the weather, the temperature, your shoes, a flat or rocky surface – affect the results of this roadside test?
  • Did the police properly inform you of your rights before administering the breathalyzer exam?
  • Was the police officer properly certified in DUI detection and testing?
  • Was the breathalyzer exam administered in accordance with standard procedures?
  • Do you suffer from any diseases, diet restrictions, or illnesses that may have affected the breathalyzer results?

Find A Lawyer Who Will Really Go To Trial

Many DUI lawyers say they will take your case to trial. But what they mean is that they will take your case to a District Court trial.

You want a Cary, Apex, and Raleigh DUI lawyer who will take your case not just to District Court, but also to Superior Court. Even if you decide not to have a jury trial, you want a Apex, Cary, and Raleigh DUI lawyer who is eager to go to a Superior Court trial.

Why is Superior Court “better”?

In North Carolina there are two levels of criminal court for misdemeanors like DUIs. If you decide to take your case to trial, the law requires that your Raleigh, Cary, and Apex DUI lawyer will first try your case before a Wake County District Court Judge. These trials are judge-only trials. No jury. And these cases have high conviction rates.

That’s because many District Court judges are former prosecutors. And many District Court judges tend to get tired of hearing defense lawyer arguments about the unreliability of the breathalyzer machine or mistakes the officer may have made in conducting his tests, even if those arguments are true.

If you are convicted in a Wake County District Court, you have an automatic right to appeal your case to Superior Court. This is where you are guaranteed your right to a jury trial. And juries are your best friend.

Why are Juries a DUI defendant’s best friend?

Juries are made up of regular people. People like you. People who may themselves drink and who may understand a honest mistake. Juries use their common sense.

Juries are not prejudiced against defendants, especially defendants who may otherwise be lawful citizens who have made a mistake. Juries understand that just because you were nervous at the time the police stopped you doesn’t mean police had the right to interrogate you or presume you were drunk.

Juries understand that life happens, and are more sympathetic toward a defendant who, like them, may have made a mistake he or she wishes hadn’t happened.

As a result, juries, unlike judges, are much more willing to forgive DUI defendants, and find DUI defendants not guilty of DUI charges.

Why don’t all Apex, Cary, and Raleigh DWI lawyers try Superior Court DWI cases?

Many lawyers are reluctant to try cases in Superior Court because of the added time and expense. That’s unfortunate, because statistics show that someone charged with a DWI stands a much better chance of being found not-guilty by a jury than by a judge.

Numbers do not lie. You need a Apex, Cary, and Raleigh DWI lawyer who is not afraid – who is eager and willing! – to go to Superior Court to try your DWI case.

But Raleigh, Cary, and Apex DWI lawyer Damon Chetson loves to try cases in Superior Court. In fact, he charges lower trial rates so that clients are more financially able to have their day in court before a jury of their peers.

Call Mr. Chetson at (919) 352-9411 weekdays, evenings, weekends or Holidays.