The most important quality to look for in an attorney to represent someone in a DWI case would be to find one who had a lot of experience with handling DWI cases. Moreover, it would be really important for the DUI / DWI attorney to have a lot of experience in the jurisdiction where the case was going to be heard. We are in Queens County, New York, and cases heard in Queens County are handled very differently than cases in other jurisdictions, because like any other jurisdiction, Queens has its own way of doing things. An experienced Queens, NY, DWI attorney or criminal defense lawyer would know who to talk to in the DA’s office, what to say to that person, and how talking to them could be helpful. He would know the district attorney he was talking to and he would basically have a much better idea of how to handle the case if he was fully familiar with practice in the particular jurisdiction.
This would be true for an attorney in just about any jurisdiction. The federal government is currently instituting a lot of programs where they give money to jurisdictions to try to complete cases in what they consider would be the best way, so they are still experimenting. Cases are being handled differently in different places, so the person should make sure they have an attorney who is very experienced and, most importantly, that he is very experienced in the particular jurisdiction where the case is being heard.
The first thing someone can ask an -a criminal defense lawyer or a DUI / DWI attorney is regarding what kind of experience they have. I have handled over a thousand DWI cases because I have been doing this for over 40 years. The client should want to know where the attorney primarily practiced, because in my case, I have practiced almost entirely in Queens County. It would be very important for the person to hire an attorney who was very familiar with the jurisdiction where the case was being held.
Other than just asking questions, the client will want to observe how the attorney handled and treated them. The client should see whether the attorney was respectful and if they seemed interested in what the person had to say. In any DUI / DWI, drunk driving or criminal case, that is very important. Above all else, the person should determine whether the attorney was thorough when answering questions, whether he paid attention to what the client told him about what happened, and whether he explained things. A good criminal defense attorney will tell their client right from the beginning that they will not lie to them about their prospects, that they will tell the client where they stood at all times, and that they would keep them advised of every single thing they did, and more importantly, why they did it. These are things that someone should really look for in an attorney so they could relate to that person. The criminal defense lawyer or attorney should also be able to make the person feel comfortable that every possible thing was being done for them in the best possible way.
The client should run away from an attorney who promised them anything more than that, because no attorney, no matter how skilled, can guarantee the result in any criminal case. He can, however, have a huge impact on what happens to the client in a case of this seriousness by dint of his hard work, his expertise, and his experience. Choosing the right DWI attorney will make all the difference.
I do free consultations, so if a client came to me, I would certainly sit down with them and listen to find out what the case was about. I would tell them where I thought they stood, what possibilities there might be and I would give an honest appraisal of the case and what it would cost. The price would have several different numbers because it would cost less if the case did not go to trial in the end, as compared to a case that did go to trial. It would be very important to make all of that very clear so the person would know exactly how much it would cost.
I would obviously not go into every detail about the case, and I would not spend 2 or 3 hours talking to the person when I was not their attorney, nor should I do that because whatever the person was saying to me would not be privileged information because I was not yet their attorney. I would certainly speak to the client long enough for them to know what the case involved, what it entailed, what I thought the issues were, what I expected the possible results to be and more importantly, how I expect to go about getting those particular results. The person would be entitled to that before they made a choice regarding which attorney they would use, so that is exactly what I would do if a client visited with me.
The person can take as much time as they need to decide on an attorney for a DWI case. I feel that the client should do a thorough search, speak to more than one DWI attorney and make sure the attorney they choose is the right attorney for them. Time would not be as critical in DWI cases as it would be in some other types of cases, although the person should obviously make sure they have a good attorney at least a week or two before they have to make an appearance in court.
Do not take a DUI or DWI charge in New York lightly. For more information on Choosing An Attorney, find out more by contacting The Law Office of Martin D. Kane at (718) 793-5700.