St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and with it are a whole lot of police officers waiting to pull over unsuspecting drivers for DUI.  St. Patrick’s Day may be a fun holiday, but as it is primarily celebrated with green alcohol, it brings with it a lot of drunk driving and car accidents. For this reason, there is a dramatically increased police presence this time of year. If you are planning on going out to celebrate on St. Patrick’s Day and will be drinking, make sure that you have plans to get home safely that do not involve getting behind the wheel. Having a designated driver, or using a ride-sharing service like Uber or Lyft are likely the best options, as walking home can also be very dangerous when intoxicated. In fact, over 30% of pedestrians struck by vehicles on St. Patrick’s Day were over the legal limit. While it is not illegal to be intoxicated while walking, it does increase your risk of stumbling into traffic or having decreased awareness when it comes to heeding crosswalks and traffic signals.

What to Do if You are Charged With DUI on St. Patrick’s Day

If you are charged with DUI on St. Patrick’s Day, you are not alone. While it may feel like your fate was sealed the moment that police put handcuffs on you, you still have a great deal of power to overcome these charges, and the time to do so is now. The best thing that you can do is contact an experienced Orlando, Florida criminal defense lawyer to represent you and work to have your charges dismissed. Your lawyer may be able to have your charges kicked out if the police made procedural issues in conducting your arrest or in processing the evidence from your case. The police may also have violated your constitutional rights if they pulled you over without probable cause, which would create grounds for dismissing the charges against you.

Even if your charges cannot be dropped, your lawyer can work to negotiate a plea bargain with the prosecution which would allow you to plead to a less serious offense or to avoid harsher penalties. Plea bargains are often highly effective at keeping you out of jail. If your case does go to trial, your attorney can fight to overcome the charges so that you are found not guilty. Remember, even though it does not always feel like it, you are innocent until proven guilty, and it is important to be as proactive as possible in fighting the charges and ensuring that you have a fair trial (or that you can avoid a trial altogether). The best way to get a clear sense of what your options are legally is to schedule a consultation with an attorney.

Contact the Criminal Defense Lawyers at HAWM Law

If you are facing DUI charges in Orlando or the greater Florida area, the experienced criminal defense attorneys at HAWM Law will fight to get your charges dropped. Contact HAWM Law to schedule a consultation and start taking your power back today.