Reader’s Question:

A friend of mine was arrested just recently for DUI here in Owensboro, Kentucky. We know that it won’t be easy for him because this is not just an ordinary traffic offense. Is it really important to hire a DUI lawyer and what are the stages in a DUI case?

Marshall

Owensboro, KY

After your friend’s initial arrest for DUI in Owensboro, Kentucky, he would be given a Preliminary Hearing date so that a judge could review his DUI case and find out if there is sufficient evidence for the DUI case against him. If there is enough evidence against him, the next court date would be for his arraignment. During the arraignment, he would hear all the charges against him and he would be asked to enter a plea of “guilty” or “not guilty.”

It would be imperative for your friend to have an experienced DUI lawyer to guide him through the proceedings and help clarify the severity of the charges against him. He could request for a trial by jury depending on the circumstances of his DUI case if he believes that he is innocent and doesn’t accept the options offered during the arraignment. This could be very complicated since witnesses and experts would be called upon to testify for and against his DUI case. If he chooses to take this route, his DUI lawyer must have appropriate experience in DUI cases to help reduce his sentence or have his DUI case dismissed altogether.

Tags: DUI, DUI lawyer, DUI trial