What Is The Difference Between A “Criminal Defense Lawyer” And A “DWI Attorney?”
When a person is charged with a DWI, there are typically a couple options available when seeking legal counsel for defense. One option that is abundant and readily available would be a criminal defense attorney. Generally speaking, criminal defense attorneys defend against virtually any kind of criminal charge from misdemeanor infractions to more serious felony charges. Another option is a DWI defense attorney. Although licensed and certified as criminal defense attorneys, DWI defense attorneys differ from typical criminal attorneys. This difference comes from the fact that instead of representing clients within a broad range of criminal charges, DWI defense attorneys exclusively represent DWI cases.
Far more often than not, criminal defense attorneys charge hundreds if not thousands of dollars to avoid a jury trial and persuade their clients into pleading guilty to lesser charges. It is estimated that in the United States, only three percent of criminal cases ever go to jury trial. That figure suggests that the vast majority of criminal cases end up with the defendant being persuaded into pleading guilty rather than being properly represented.
Now, armed with that information, one might ask, “why would anyone pay for their defense attorney to enter a guilty plea for them?!”
However, an even better question might be, “why pay for an expensive lawyer to enter a guilty plea, when a cheap lawyer can accomplish the same guilty plea?”
These are both very valid questions and they will remain questions as entering guilty pleas still remains the business model for most criminal defense attorneys. A professional DWI attorney will focus all their legal knowledge, skills, and experience into representing only DWI cases. This is critical because specializing in one specific area of the law gives a DWI attorney the upper hand over a criminal defense lawyer. This upper hand comes from repetition and experience. A run of the mill criminal lawyer may represent a handful of DWI cases mixed in with their regular case-load of other criminal cases they’re working at any given time.
Why Hiring A Criminal Defense Lawyer May Not Be The Best Way Forward
If a criminal defense lawyer is working a serious or high-profile case during the same time he’s defending a DWI client, the lawyer’s resources and efforts will more than likely be tied up with the “more serious” case. This scenario usually leaves criminal lawyers in a hurry to wrap-up the DWI case as quick as possible without expending any real effort to defend their DWI client. The end result is a high priced speedy plea bargain.
On the other hand, by solely representing DWI cases, professional DWI attorneys know DWI defense inside and out. And because they know DWIs so well, a DWI attorney is far more likely to see the case all the way to a jury trial. More often than not, DWI cases represented by a DWI attorney afford the accused the best possible outcome for their case. Furthermore, by only representing DWI clients, DWI defense lawyers are already familiar with the parameters of virtually any kind of DWI case. This is because of their exclusive experience in DWI defense.
Most likely the DWI attorney has represented dozens (if not hundreds) of clients who were charged with DWIs under similar circumstances. In a way, criminal defence attorneys could be considered as a type of “general defense” attorney and DWI attorneys as “specialist defence” attorneys. And while both types of defence attorneys can represent a client accused of a DWI, the representation and outcome for the client will vary dramatically based on their choice of council.
If You Have Been Charged With A DWI, Hire A DWI Lawyer
It stands to reason that anyone charged with a crime would want the best representation they can get for the specifics of their case. If looking for DWI representation, a DWI attorney is far more skilled and experienced in representing clients facing DWI charges than a common criminal defense lawyer. Above all, DWI cases represented by a DWI attorney afford the accused the best chance at presenting their case in front of a jury. This is of the utmost importance because it’s the only chance an accused individual has at a “not guilty” verdict. The alternative is a criminal defense lawyer and prosecutor meeting in private to determine the outcome of a case and what plea bargain the accused will take.