This last weekend, everyone in Colorado Springs and in the Denver metro area celebrated the coming of the new year.  As with any New Year’s holiday, most people chose to ring in the new year by drinking with their friends and having a good night.  Unfortunately, after all of the parties die down and it is time to go home, people think they are sober enough to drive.  In most cases and as the Colorado Springs Highway Patrol officers have found out, they are not sobered up yet.

Police officers in Colorado Springs and the surrounding cities were on the look out last Saturday for anyone driving under the influence.  If you drove on Interstate 25, you were certain to see police officers lining the side of the road, waiting to pull over anyone exhibiting suspicious driving behavior.  It has been reported that police officers in Colorado Springs make the most DUI arrests over the holidays of New Year’s Eve and St. Patrick’s Day due to the drinking activities that take place on those holidays.  People go out with their friends looking to have a good time and then attempt to drive home while being intoxicated.  Their poor driving behaviors start by swerving a little here and there and then they end up either colliding with another vehicle or colliding with the guard rail on the side of the freeway.  Police attempt to curb this dangerous driving by having strict penalties and in most cases, jail time.  Even with restrictions in place and the laws clearly announced to the public of Colorado Springs and surrounding cities, people still break the law and put themselves and others in danger.

If you are thinking that you can have a few drinks and attempt to drive, Colorado Springs DUI attorneys and police officers are asking you to exercise caution.

“Each year on New Year’s Eve, there are several kids (and adults) who drink with their friends and then skip between different parties or try to drive home while intoxicated.  This creates a very dangerous atmosphere for our community and the laws should be held up to the highest standard.  Not only are you guaranteed to be heavily fined and be put in jail for a certain time period, but you will have your license revoked and will have the charge on your record for a very long time.  Although DUI cases help our law firm, we want the community to be safe and for those who decide to drink alcohol to do so in a responsible manner” – DUI Attorney, Colorado Springs

If you decided to drink and drive on New Year’s Eve and have received a DUI charge, contact a Colorado Springs DUI lawyer right away.

When you have been charged with driving under the influence (DUI), there are a few things you need to consider.   Your first choice would be to hire a qualified and experienced DUI attorney who is in a city close to where you were arrested.  You and your attorney will then work toward fighting your DUI case in a strategic manner.

When people have been arrested in Colorado Springs and charged with a DUI, they are very shaken up about the arrest.  In most cases, people have only had a few a beers at a concert or they had one too many glasses of wine at dinner.  Unfortunately, this is the kind of behavior that Colorado Springs police and Colorado Highway Patrol officers are keeping an eye one.  Should you be arrested for a DUI, you need to gather all of the paperwork relevant to your arrest and provide it to your Colorado Springs DUI attorney.  Your attorney will then fact check the paperwork for any errors or inconsistencies that can be used to defend your DUI case.  You should also try to preserve any receipts or other paper documents you obtained earlier in the night that can prove you were not over the designated limit.  These documents may include debit card receipts, credit card receipts, restaurant receipts or bar receipts.  If the receipt can prove that you were not over the limit at the time of your arrest, your DUI charges have a chance of being dismissed.  Additionally, a receipt from the tavern you were drinking at has the possibility to prove that the breathalyzer test issued by the police officer is inconsistent with how intoxicated you really were.

The next step your DUI attorney will advise you to do is to write down everything you can remember from the night you were arrested.  Although this may be a difficult task, it will provide the best way for your attorney to attack the case.  If you can remember something from the night of your arrest that is not consistent with what the police officer or Colorado Highway Patrol officer states, it could be a way for your attorney to better approach the case.  Try to sit down with your attorney and write down anything and everything you can remember.  Unfortunately, the police are trained to take notes on things that could be incriminating to you.  If you and your Colorado Springs DUI attorney are able to prove something the officer said is wrong, you will have a better resolution to your case.

Colorado Springs DUI lawyers have more tips for you, so stay tuned!

Hello Everyone,
We have all heard stories about untrained, everyday people  successfully defending themselves in court.  They pick up a few buzzwords of legal jargon, and find that the arresting officers did not follow protocol during the arrest, or they prove that someone else was in error and they get off Scott-free.  Unfortunately, these things rarely happen at all, and self-representation often has dire consequences, as opposed to a positive outcome.
Today we are going to discuss why it is important to hire a lawyer for a DUI case, as opposed to representing yourself.  You may think that a DUI is straightforward enough that you could represent yourself in court and do well, but these cases can be very difficult to navigate, and we strongly recommend getting a lawyer to help you with your case.  Avoiding the maximum penalties and the worse case scenario in your DUI trail requires the experience of a professional lawyer.
Many legal professionals note that hiring a lawyer in DUI cases is especially important because the system, and judges, juries, police officers, look at DUIs as a crime that they should punish to the fullest extent of the law.  If you want to keep your freedom, and preserve your reputation, it is important that you hire a good DUI lawyer.
Since criminal defense lawyers defend DUI cases quite often, they are extremely familiar with the system, the prosecutors, and the evidence at hand.  They can easily tell when a police officer has not completely followed protocol, and therefore get the case against you dismissed, or the charges lessened.
Think of hiring a lawyer as an investment in protecting your personal and financial freedom.  Learn how to find a good one by listening to what other people have to say about them.  Look for someone who has been practicing nearly exclusively DUI law for a long time.  The better they know the system (especially the Colorado Springs system), the better your chances are of getting a lesser charge and being able to get on with your life.  Remember that feeling the full weight of the law for a DUI conviction can lead to years and years of paying for your mistake.  Having a good lawyer will prevent this from being true in your case.
Need help finding a good DUI lawyer?  This Colorado Springs criminal defense attorney does great work.
Thank you for reading!  Until next time…

Hello Everyone,
Today we are going to discuss what you should know about your probation.  In Colorado, the terms of your probation depend on a variety of factors. If you have been convicted of your first DUI, then the penalties and restrictions of your probation are most likely quite a bit lighter than they would be for a second or third DUI.  We often get asked if going on vacation outside of the state during your probation would be a violation of its terms.  This very much depends on what the judge decided during your sentencing, and you should consult your lawyer and probation officer before finalizing any vacation plans.  If neither of these two people have the information you need, you can always go to the court house and ask them to locate the documentation.
While a vacation is one matter, moving to another state is another.  If you wish to move during your probation, you can put in a request to transfer your probation.  If it is denied by your probation officer, you can have your attorney file with the court to get a judge to review your petition.  Whatever you do, you should not simply leave the state and expect your probation to go away.  Plenty of people do this, and there are serious criminal repercussions for doing so.  If you ever want your record to be clear, you need to attempt to switch over your parole through the proper channels.
If you are looking into moving out of the state while still on probation, and it is a misdemeanor (first offense DUI), it is very likely that you will be allowed to move.  You do, however, have to give a good reason for the move, which could be 1) a new job 2) family issues 3) other financial or personal matters.  Again, try to refrain from making serious plans until you have made sure to clear the move with your parole officer.
We say this quite a bit on our blog, but just remember that after your DUI conviction, there are still a number of things you can do to better your changes of going back to a normal life as soon as possible.  If you take actions such as working with your parole officer to switch over your parole before moving to a new state, you are boosting your chances of getting off parole early, or getting your record expunged so that you can stop feeling like a criminal and go back to the life that you knew before you were arrested for your DUI.  If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to give a good Colorado Springs DUI attorney a call.
Thanks for reading!

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to our second post in this series on how to avoid harsh punishments in a DUI situation.  In our first post, we discussed the importance of being polite and avoiding admitting guilt.  In today’s post, we will discuss various sobriety tests and how to use them to your advantage.  We will finish the segment with a few clever ways to create evidence that is favorable to you.

Do not agree to take a “breathalyzer” test.  These tools are unreliable, and there is no law saying that you have to take such a test, if you are over 21.  If you refuse the test, you will most likely go to jail, but the law will have less evidence against you.  If you have had nothing to drink, which is unlikely in this argument, feel free to take the breath test.  If you have been drinking, taking the test will only hurt your chances.  Ask to take a blood test.  They are even less accurate than breath tests.  Since so much can go wrong with a blood test, it is easier for your attorney to dispute the charges.

Do not agree to take field sobriety tests.  Similar to ‘fumbling’ which we spoke about earlier, it is entirely up to the arresting officer whether or not you preform them well.  Once again, if you refuse the test, you will be taken to jail, but there is less evidence against you during the trail.

If you have other people in your car, allow them to act as witnesses.  Be sure they take note of everything that is happening.  This way, your passengers could help counter statements made by the police officer.

This is a creative way to help beat your charges that is not traditionally given: When you get to the police station, call a friend.  Ask them to listen carefully to the way that you are speaking, and note that you are not slurring and that you sound coherent and sober.  They can be a witness at your trial.  You can also leave message on your own machine as concrete, taped evidence of your sobriety.

And last but not least: getting arrested is scary, and if you were intoxicated the whole experience might be difficult to remember.  Try hard to pay attention to every thing that happens during your arrest. When you get home, write it all down.  Give this to your lawyer.  It may be important to beating your charges.

When it is all said and done, the best way to get a lighter sentence on your DUI is to hire a great Colorado Springs DUI lawyer for your case.
Thanks for reading!