3 Proven Tips for Lawyers on How to Win a DUI Trial
Are you ready to face the hate?
To win a DUI trial, you have to prepare yourself to enter into a world of negative emotions that surround drunk driving. Americans know all too well, the toll alcohol-related crashes, are taking on the country.
Every day, drunk drivers cost the lives of 29 Americans, averaging a total of 1 death every 50 minutes. In addition to the horrid loss of life, the annual expense of alcohol-related crashes is more than $44 billion.
Walking into the courtroom, it’s up to you to take your client out of the harsh light of the hate and paint a new picture for jurors. You’ll have to know how to fight emotion with emotion, while also dancing around any pre-trial case reveals. Read on to learn the top 3 tips for lawyers creating a solid DUI defense.
Table of Contents
1. Emotional DUI Trial Statements
Your mission during the DUI trial should be to create a compelling case, that stirs up feelings in the jurors. When jurors can emotionally connect with your theory, you’ll be well on your ways towards a victory.
To create an emotional attachment between the jurors and your case theory, you’ll need to have a powerful 2 sentence statement. For example, let’s say the theory of your case is that law enforcement didn’t do their job properly.
Your compelling statement could be, “Officers on the scene ignore proper testing procedures, including administering the necessary breath tests. Furthermore, the government lab operated in a slapdash manner.” This 2 sentence statement uses words like, “ignore”, and “slapdash”, to emotionally drive the point home to jurors that law enforcement dropped the ball.
2. Create a Basic Strategy
Once you have a compelling theory to base your case on, you’re ready to make a basic strategy. Here are the components of a successful DUI trial strategy:
- Make it clear that it’s not certain your client’s guilty
- Link separate parts of the case together
- Be thorough in your jury selection
- Remember, cases are always about the matter at hand
You’ll want to start by making it abundantly clear that your case isn’t a routine procedure. Help the jurors find out more about how DUI laws operate in your state. Make sure they understand you’re representing your client because this is a special situation, and the driver’s guilt isn’t automatic.
3. Prepare for Pretrial Conference
It’s not uncommon for judges to want to quiz you as the defense attorney, during a pretrial conference. While you’re in the pretrial conference, the judge will ask things about what you’re defense is going to be. Since the prosecutor will be present at the conference, it’s a good idea to keep certain parts of your defense a secret.
You’re not allowed to lie to the judge, or refuse to answer their questions, so you’ll have to use wisdom when selecting your words. Let the judge know your defense involves confidential client communications. In most cases, a judge will respect the attorney-client privilege, and won’t push you to reveal any more of the defense strategy.
Win Your Case
Now you know a few of the best tips for winning a DUI trial. Emotionally connecting with jurors, and knowing how much to reveal about your strategy, gives you the best advantage in court.
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