Talking to a Seattle DUI Attorney Does Not Mean You Are Guilty

Posted on 2009-12-01, 04:49, by Smalls, under Law.

You probably can't tell by the title of my post, but I am a Seattle DUI attorney. This means I defend people every day who have been charged with DUI. Some were more drunk than others. Some probably should have been off the road. But almost all of them share one characteristic – when they had a chance to talk to me they declined to do so, and it hurt them. Now, don't misunderstand my message before I even get started. I'm not saying you should only talk to me. I'm saying at the first opportunity, you should get in touch with a DUI attorney in Seattle and find out what your options are and what you should do.

The reason I'm writing this article is actually kind of embarrassing. My father-in-law was recently pulled over on his way home from a football game and investigated for DUI. They stopped him, questioned him, and asked him to perform field sobriety tests. And you know what, he complied with every request! And you know what else, I didn't find out about it until very recently (and, truth be told, he still doesn't know that I know – I heard about it from someone else). I'm not sure why he didn't call, but I think it has something to do with the idea that if you want to get help and advice, you must be guilty.

Why is this thought so pervasive? For one thing, cops push it on us all the time. "Can we search your vehicle? If you aren't hiding anything it shouldn't be a problem." "Want to speak to a DUI lawyer? If you aren't driving drunk there should be no need." They prey on our insecurities and rely on the fact that for us, perception is even more important than reality. My answers to those questions would be "no, you cannot search my vehicle" and "yes, I'd like to speak to a criminal attorney right away." That doesn't make me guilty, it makes me smart.

Let me give you an example outside of the realm of criminal defense to try to put it into perspective. Let's say you hear on the news about a big contract that is about to be executed by two media moguls. All that is left is for the attorneys to work out the details. Upon hearing that, do we immediately think that the two sides are getting ready to sue each other or that they don't trust each other? For me, I think the two sides are smart to get some help to draft a complicated document that will control a lot of money and the actions of two parties well into the future so that the document says exactly what both sides want it to say. The same goes for a DUI lawyer in Seattle.

Although I am here working to get my clients' charges dismissed if it is possible, in the grand scheme of things I am trying to make sure people do exactly what they have to do to protect their interests with respect to a subject they know nothing about. Asking for help in a criminal investigation is the same as asking for help in a contract negotiation. You need to cover your ass so that if things go wrong, you aren't the one holding the short end of the stick. So, the next time you get in trouble, don't listen to the cops.

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