I’ll state right up front that I am totally against drinking and driving. As a retired teacher of teenagers, I’ve seen drunk driving ruin and even end too many lives. On the other hand, I believe almost everyone deserves a second chance. A single DUI conviction should not ruin the lives of an inebriated driver and his family, especially when there was no accident or injury involved.

I’m not talking about some driver who is so drunk that he can hardly walk and then gets behind a wheel and kills innocent people. I’m talking more along the lines of a Mr. Jones who goes out dining and dancing with his wife for their anniversary and has too much champagne. On their way home, the couple goes through a road block, and the attending officer thinks maybe Mr. Jones has been drinking. He asks Mr. Jones, and Mr. Jones admits he has had several glasses of champagne, which leads to a DUI or DWI charge for our Mr. Jones.

Mr. Jones might not have even been what one would consider “drunk.” The legal limit now is .08% blood alcohol content in all fifty states. You don’t have to imbibe a lot of alcoholic drinks to get such a reading. This level certainly would not be equivalent to being “wasted,” “smashed,” or “three sheets in the wind.” But you could be just as guilty with a .08 reading as with a much higher level blood alcohol content. Penalties for DUI convictions are stiffer than ever and could include high fines, higher car insurance premiums, the loss of your driver’s license, and time in jail. In some states, a driver with a DUI conviction even has to have a car tag stating in bold red letters that he has a DUI conviction. And believe it or not, in some states you can be tried twice for the same drinking and driving offense – once in a court of law and once in a Department of Motor Vehicles hearing. But how can a DUI or DWI lawyer help? A conviction is a conviction, right?

Well, not exactly. A lot might depend on your attorney or attorneys. A DUI attorney can make a big difference in the penalties you receive. DUI and DWI attorneys have a lot of experience handling such cases. They know all the ins and out of the laws for each state and might even be able to have the charges dropped, especially if this is your first DUI charge.

Even if the charges can’t be dropped, a good DUI attorney can lessen your sentence. Also, if this is not an isolated incidence and you have a drinking problem, most DWI attorneys are trained to get you the help you need to get your life back on track. In many cases, your DWI lawyer can even have your records expunged, so that you can start over with a clean slate.

How do you find a lawyer who specializes in drinking and driving cases? One of the best sources is www.1800duilaws.com . You can quickly and easily find DUI attorneys in your area who are very familiar with the laws specific to your state. The first consultation with most DUI or DWI lawyers is free, too, and with the above website, you can even email them questions about your case. Don’t try to go it alone – the risk is just too great.