DUI / DWI Defense

DUI defense is both an art and a science.

Take the breathalyzers. There are at least 30 ways to rebut the evidence from these machines. DWI defense attorneys must understand their internal workings enough to cross-examine the state's witnesses effectively on their alleged accuracy.

In DUI matters, the "opinion" evidence gathered by police officers typically consists of field or roadside sobriety tests. These agility tests are supposed to indicate that the person suspected of drunk driving was actually impaired or in some way "a less safe driver."

Recent scholarly studies have shown that field sobriety tests are not given uniformly, there is no scientific basis for assuming they are valid, and most officers either require the wrong tests or improperly instruct the suspect on how to perform the tests. A DUI defense attorney can obtain a pre-trial ruling that the tests and their alleged indication of impairment must be excluded from evidence due to lack of scientific foundation and faulty instructions.

These are just a few examples of the level of intense, specialized knowledge required in DUI matters. The DWI defense lawyer should leave no stone unturned. These cases require detailed investigation. DUI defense attorneys who do not investigate thoroughly and defend the client aggressively do the client a disservice and expose themselves to possible liability. In addition, they harm the legal profession by failing to fully represent the client.