If you have recently been arrested for driving while under the influence (DWI), then you have a lengthy and stressful legal battle ahead of you. This charge is given to people that the police believe, with reasonable suspicion, were driving under the influence of alcohol or an impairing drug, including prescription and over the counter drugs that can alter a person's ability to drive. After your charge, you will be given a court date, which you must attend, and, ideally, you should attend this court date with a lawyer who is experienced in DWI cases. Without a lawyer like Thomas A Corletta by your side, there is a good chance that you will face some of the harsher potential consequences of a DWI conviction.

Avoid a Conviction

To start off with, you should understand that being charged with a DWI is not the same thing, legally speaking, as being convicted of one. A charge just means that you were accused of a DWI, not that one has been permanently recorded on your record or that you have been found guilty.

The absolute best way to avoid being found guilty of a DWI is, as mentioned, to get an experienced lawyer to go to court with you and to plead on your behalf. If you can avoid a conviction, then you can avoid the consequences of a DWI altogether.

Jail Time

One of the most serious potential effects of getting convicted of a DWI is facing jail time. In every state, jail time is a possibility for people who are convicted of a DWI, and, not only is it unpleasant,but it can disrupt your life, cause you to lose your job, and cause other problems for you as well, such as time away from your family.

The time that can be spent in jail varies from state to state and increases based on the number of convictions a person has had.

If you want to avoid jail time, regardless of whether or not you are convicted of the DWI, it is smart to have a lawyer who can go to bat for you. The right attorney can keep a conviction from happening in the first place, and, if one does happen, can help to find and work out other punishments besides jail time.

As you can see, having an attorney is absolutely necessary when you have been charged with a DWI, so do not delay in finding the right person to assist you.