Do you have questions about DUI & Drunk Driving Laws in the State of Colorado?

Fri, 18 July, 2008

Our Colorado Springs DUI Attorneys Answer Your Questions About DUI & Drunk Driving Laws
Colorado state and local Colorado Springs law enforcement agencies have implemented an aggressive approach to restraining driving under the influence. Colorado State law enforcement agencies have actively participated in a national campaign to decrease alcohol-related fatalities.

In 2001, federal law pressured all the states adopt a new standard for blood alcohol levels – reducing levels from .10 percent to .08 percent. Colorado participates in this standard. Not surprisingly, DWI arrests in Colorado Springs have increased significantly.

If you are charged with a DUI, the prosecutor has already determined that he/she will be able to prove that you are guilty. Perhaps this is so, perhaps not. Prosecutors generally have four areas that they focus on – a pattern of irregular driving, the physical appearance of the driver which indicates intoxication, performance(s) on field sobriety test (s), and results of a chemical breath, blood or urine test. A Colorado DUI law firm will scrutinize the State’s evidence prior to the trial in order to properly advise you on which of several routes you may wish to take.

During the pre-trial phase, the DUI defense attorney attempts to dismiss or “dilute” certain pieces of the State’s claims. A Colorado DUI law firm has a unique expertise and knowledge of the operation of the breath analyzer equipment and the hospital and forensic testing process of testing for intoxicants. Also, an attorney specializing in Colorado drunk driving law can identify some the subtle legal nuances that afford opportunities to suppress evidence that may be detrimental to the defendant. A DWI case may be dismissed altogether at the pre-trial stage if there is a thorough assessment of the case by an experienced DWI lawyer.

Trial Options

If you’ve been arrested for driving under the influence in Colorado, there is a good chance that your attorney may suggest foregoing a trial to a jury or to a judge, and consider some sort of plea-bargain instead. With plea-bargaining, the defendant agrees to plead guilty to the charge, which is sometimes reduced, for a more reasonable sentence than a prosecutor or judge might have otherwise considered. Plea-bargains often take an individual’s particular needs and circumstances into account, and help defendants receive a more lenient outcome. A Colorado DUI attorney will point out various things to the prosecutor that he/she could not otherwise possibly know, and this can make a positive difference for you in the end.

A good Colorado Springs DUI law firm will offer you the best advice on how to strategize with your driving under the influence Colorado prosecution. There are lots of ways that a DUI case may turn out, and many of them are very unpleasant and unnecessary! A DUI in Colorado exposes one to many harsh consequences. It is simply too risky to consider “going it alone” or to count on an attorney that does not specialize in this complicated area of the law.