Utah DWI Defense Lawyer
Utah's DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs) laws are some of the toughest in the nation. If you are facing DUI charges, it is definitely in your best interest to hire a qualified defense attorney to protect your rights.
We are Salt Lake City criminal defense attorneys Greg Smith (former prosecutor) and Steven Russell. We have countless DUI clients. We know the laws and we are prepared to aggressively fight for you.
Utah DUI laws leave no margin for error
If you are pulled over, take a field sobriety or test and are judged by the police officer to be impaired, you will get no leeway. If your Breathalyzer or blood alcohol test results in an alcohol percentage greater than .08, you are in serious trouble.
You may also face DUI charges if you test positive for any type of drug that can possibly affect your perception and judgment when operating a motor vehicle. This includes even legal prescription drugs for which you have a legitimate doctor's prescription, such as painkillers like Vicodin or OxyContin. Of course, it also includes illegal drugs like marijuana, cocaine, crack, heroin and methamphetamine. Regardless of its legality, if it can impair your judgment it is illegal to drive under its influence.
More experience, more successes in defending DUI clients
We are among Utah's most experienced DUI lawyers. There are many ways to protect your rights and we know them all. It is important to remember that unless you file for a hearing with the Utah Driver's License Division within 10 days of your arrest, your license will be suspended. We will help you complete and file the proper paperwork so you can hopefully keep driving to work or school while waiting for your case to go to court.
Procedural errors
Even though DUI charges are fairly common, it is certainly possible for the police to make procedural errors during your arrest or while handling evidence against you. An experienced attorney like Greg Smith (former prosecutor) or Steven Russell can identify these errors and use them to craft an effective defense against your charges. We carefully review arrest reports and all procedures with these important questions in mind:
- Did the police have probable cause to arrest you?
- Did they have a reasonable suspicion to pull you over?
- Was evidence properly collected and reviewed?
- Were the Breathalyzer and other tests correctly administered?
- Was the testing equipment properly calibrated and maintained?
- Were you advised of your Miranda rights before any in-custody questioning?
We will examine and evaluate any aspect of a DUI case that can be challenged or suppressed.
Minimizing the penalties
Even in cases where a conviction may be inevitable, we work hard to minimize or reduce the penalties, lessen the consequences and minimize the impact of the conviction. For example, there are programs first-time offenders can enter in an effort to lighten a sentence, or we may be able to negotiate a plea to a lesser charge.
Call us for answers
To learn about all your options after a DUI arrest, your most important strategy is to remain silent and contact attorneys Greg Smith (former prosecutor) and Steven Russell today.
