Should you plead guilty to DWI

Sometimes, people plead guilty to DWI without an experienced lawyer and later have buyers remorse. Unfortunately, at that point, it is almost impossible to undo what you have done. (However, a plea has to be knowing, intelligent, and voluntary, and I have set aside a guilty plea before, but it is incredibly difficult to do). Before you plead guilty, you should at a minimum know what the penalties are. If you plead guilty to a first offense DWI in NH, you will lose your license. There is no work permit or hardship license. You will have to pay a fine and you will have to complete an alcohol program, and any recommended counseling before you get your license back. You will have a criminal record and if there is another dwi, the consequences include mandatory jail time and a minimum 3 year license loss.

Once you know what you are facing, you should speak with a New Hampshire dui lawyer to see what defenses you have. Many cases that seem difficult can be won with the right defense. If you gave a breath test, you need to get the breath tubes independently tested. If you gave a blood test you need to see if it was done properly or if alcohol could have fermented in the blood.

In many cases a plea could be in your best interest. This is particularly true where you are facing an aggravated dwi or second offense dwi and your lawyer is able to get the charge reduced to a first offense dwi. Having an experienced dui attorney who has handled hundreds of cases can help you get an idea of what the penalties will likely be if you are found guilty versus pleading guilty, or your chance of winning at trial. An experienced lawyer and one who is willing to go go trial and has a record of getting not guilty verdicts will often get better pleas than someone who just pleas every case, or worse yet, when someone is representing themselves. With so much at stake, can you afford not to hire a good dwi lawyer?