What steps can I take to minimize a DUI penalty?

If you are a first-time offender, you can usually minimize the DUI penalty against you through various steps. In most cases, your best bet is to get a lawyer who will then advise you on how to get your sentence reduced, or even get the case thrown out completely. You can appeal to the court, prove that the officer did not have probable cause to stop you or undergo driving school, to name a few ways to get the penalty minimized.

Explore Possible Mistakes

If you are certain that the officer had no probable cause to pull you over for a DUI, you may be able to minimize DUI penalty. Unless the officer watched you stumble to your car, swerve while driving or drink alcohol, he may not have had probable cause to pull you over. If you feel that you were stopped for some other reason, and then the officer happened to smell alcohol on your breath, you may be able to get the case thrown out since he did not follow proper procedure.

Proving that you were drunk while driving requires the use of certain tools, such as a breathalyzer. If you believe that it was incorrect, perhaps not calibrated properly, you can fight the charge and get the case thrown out. Police officers and equipment alike may occasionally be wrong, and pointing it out can help your case.

Impress the Court

If it is clear that you made the mistake by drinking and driving, you may find that the court can sometimes be forgiving. If you can show the judge that you are a good person with no past record and simply made a mistake, you may be able to minimize DUI penalty against you. While your attorney should help in this endeavor, you should also consider requesting driving school or a class that warns about why drunk driving is unwise. These actions may allow the judge to have some pity on you for your mistake, removing the DUI from your record.