15 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a DUI Lawyer
- Is your law practice limited to DUI and motor vehicle defenses? What percentage of your practice consists of DUI clients?
- Do you have successful trial experience in DUI defenses?
- Have you ever won a blood case of .15 or higher BAC at trial?
- Have you ever won a breath case of .15 or higher BAC at trial?
- Do you have expert witnesses on your staff, such as a forensic site photographer; a phlebotomist; or a nurse/medical expert, to create evidence helpful to your clients or defenses for any of your clients?
- Do you have an active membership in the National College for DUI Defense and, if so, have you ever attended the DUI Trial College held at Harvard Law School each summer? When did you last attend?
- Are you trained and NHTSA/IACP certified to administer any of the standardized field sobriety tests (SFST's) used by law enforcement against your clients?
- Are you NHTSA/IACP certified as a police instructor for DUI investigations; cues of impairment or non-impairment; or any of the field sobriety tests?
- Are you NHTSA/IACP certified as a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) to fight arrests for driving under the influence of drugs or prescription medications in DUI cases?
- Are you trained and certified as an operator of the CMI Intoxilyzer 5000 breath alcohol testing device?
- Are you trained as a maintenance supervisor and to do calibrations on the Intoxilyzer 5000?
- Are you trained and certified as an operator for the Intoxilyzer 8000 breath alcohol tsting device?
- Do you own multiple, functioning Intoxilyzers? Have you used them in the courtroom or at any trial to win a client's case?
- Do you teach other lawyers and judges about DUI defenses, either in Arizona or in other states or both (nationwide)?
- Do you attend continuing legal education classes year about new DUI defenses and changes in the law of DUI each year? If so, do you tell your prospective new clients about the time limit for requesting civil MVD hearings of within 15 days of your arrest, or that your clients may lose their drivers licenses and be on expensive SR-22 insurance for three years, if no timely hearing is requested?
For your protection and effective representation in your case, your attorney should be a DUI lawyer and answer 'yes' to each and every one of these questions, that is if you want a DUI lawyer to fight your DUI, who is highly qualified and on the cutting edge of new defense strategies.
Ronald Zack is able to answer 'yes' to every one of these questions.