Fight Drunk Driving Charges: Calvino Law Associates, DUI Attorneys
A DUI charge in Rhode Island or anywhere is no laughing matter. Penalties are stiff. It can mean driving suspension and the annoyance of attending safe driving classes. Driving restrictions placed on offenders can be life-changing. You need your car for work, to drive the kids around to school and activities. When the costs of driving under the influence (DUI) are added up, it is worth fighting the charges, if only to reduce their severity and the draconian penalties that go along with it.
The cost of a drunk driving charge is easily underestimated. People often think about the fine itself. They forget about related costs, the most significant of which is a big hike in insurance premiums. They may also not be aware that time behind bars in severe cases is a possibility.
What Attorneys Do
The most important things a DUI attorney does include:
- Finding flaws in the evidence against you and using it to win a dismissal, or at the very least, a reduction in charges and penalties
- Questioning the legality of sobriety checkpoints
- Challenging field sobriety tests and illegal testing
- Examining the elements of the DUI charge and attacks the most serious
- Challenging the basics of a Breathalyzer test
Drunk Driving Defenses
What defense will your lawyer use? Depending on the charges, a good attorney will employ whatever it takes to win.
- Affirmative defenses—all charges dismissed
- Attacks the circumstances of the arrest or facts as alleged by police
- Questions procedures that may have infringed on your rights as the accused
- Challenges the operational accuracy and condition of the DUI equipment used to support the charge
Charges that procedures by law enforcement violated your rights may be caused for exoneration as they are in any criminal defense.
Cost of a DUI Charge in Rhode Island
In round figures, a lost DUI case costs around $8800, broken down as follows:
- $5000 Attorney Fees
- $750 5-day Towing Fee
- $1000 Bail
- $1000 in Fines
- $350 Registration Reinstatement Fee
- $250 License Reinstatement
- $100 Ignition Interlock Device
- $6.50 Updated License
With the aid of a good attorney, you can see how the setting aside of charges eliminates many of the fee requirements; they will always argue, at minimum, for a reduction in penalties.
Penalties in Rhode Island for a First DUI Conviction
The consequences of a conviction for first offense DUI in Rhode Island can be extremely severe. They include a mandatory license suspension, community service, and hefty fines, as well as a possible jail sentence of up to one year. Fighting the charge on your own can be extremely difficult, if not impossible.
The Calvino Law Associates Promise
If you’ve been charged with a DUI, the first thing to do is call an attorney. The legal team at Calvino Law Associates has a stellar win record in DUI cases. It is not advisable to try to fight a DUI alone. More than likely, you will lose and spend the next year or two recouping your losses.
Our experienced legal staff of experts is here for you. Call us at (401) 205-3733 or use our online contact form. We serve Providence, North Kingstown, and the surrounding areas in Rhode Island.
373 Elmwood Ave.
Providence, RI 02907
