As you may know, the U.S. Constitution affords citizens who have been accused of a crime the right to be represented by a lawyer. However, the Constitution does not guarantee that a lawyer will be provided for every crime a person is convicted of.
As this article from FindLaw.com explains, the U.S. Supreme Court has further held that individuals who cannot afford to pay for a lawyer on their own will be provided one in all felony cases. Further, the Supreme Court later held that indigent individuals who face “actual imprisonment” must also be afforded a lawyer.
So what does that mean for your DUI case?
It means that you first must be facing a felony DUI or another DUI charge that could result in lengthy jail time. It also means that you will have to prove that you are indigent, or that you cannot afford to pay for an attorney, before you will be appointed one.
However, even if you do qualify for a public defender in your DUI case you might not want to take the option. Public defenders often carry huge caseloads and are only able to give limited attention to each individual client.
On the other hand, a private DUI defense lawyer will be able to devote much more time to your case in order to investigate all possible defenses.
Ultimately, you face serious consequences no matter what kind of DUI you have been charged with, and if you value your freedom, bank account, future and driving privileges, then you will want the best DUI defense lawyer that you can afford.
To find out more about the aggressive and unique approach our private DUI defense firm in Athens, Georgia, takes in DUI cases, read more on our website.