Alpena, MI DUI and OWI Law Firms & Lawyers

If your hometown attorney is familiar with the courts where your case is being prosecuted, then you certainly can retain him/her. A hometown attorney is certainly more convenient for you than a lawyer in the jurisdiction. That being said, if you are fighting a DUI charge you want to hire the best attorney you can afford, if that is the hometown lawyer, better for you, if it is the lawyer in the jurisdiction then go with him/her. Many of us are able to work with clients in our hometown as well as out-of-town, sometimes even internationally. Again, the quality of the lawyer is more important rather than the location.

You need to consult with and hire an attorney ASAP. They have to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. In most instances that includes having a "wheel witness", someone actually seeing you behind the wheel driving or in control of the vehicle. There are multiple things an experienced attorney will look at in deciding the merits of your case, including what the police did, or didn't do. An attorney will also most likely be able to get you a better "deal" than if you were on your own.

It sounds like you may have aided the State in proving its case by #1 admitted to having ingested alcohol AND #2 having done so BEFORE driving. I can't say that there aren't any other defenses, but your own admissions have potentially critically affected two big ones. There certainly could be an argument that the interrogation performed upon you went outside the permissible scope of a well-being check. If so, the officer should have read you your rights once you became the target of the investigation. IF that is the case, the statements made by you would be inadmissable as improperly obtained. Nevertheless, you need capable counsel to represent you as soon as possible.