North Texas DWI Defense Specialists
Amdur & Bolton
Contact a DWI attorney now.
Questions To Ask Your DWI Attorney
How much DWI experience does the attorney have?
DWI defense is one of the more complex areas of criminal litigation. Developing expertise in DWI defense requires an extensive knowledge of current law and proper police investigative procedures. There is no substitute for DWI trial experience.
What part of the attorney’s practice is devoted to DWI defense?
DWI laws and techniques defending DWIs are always changing. It is important to find a lawyer who stays on top of current laws and trends, and how Texas courts are ruling on substantive DWI issues.
How many DWI cases has he handled?
Experience matters, especially trial experience. There is not a magical number of cases that makes an attorney qualified to defend you; however, an attorney who does not dedicate a majority of his practice to DWI defense, and takes on the occasional DWI, is unlikely to have the necessary skill and experience required to successfully defend you.
How many of his cases have pled guilty?
A large number of attorneys plead their clients guilty without conducting an investigation of the facts and whether the police officer used proper procedures, and before any pretrial issues are litigated. With Amdur & Bolton, pleading guilty is the last resort, not the first option, and never occurs until a thorough investigation and review of all of the evidence occurred.
Moreover, prosecutors generally have no respect for defense attorneys who plead their clients guilty without any type of investigation, but they do enjoy working with them as they make the prosecutor’s job easier. Prosecutors do not negotiate plea bargains with them because the attorneys often take the State’s initial plea bargain offer. It is important that the prosecutors know that the attorney on your case will fight for you and has a reputation for aggressively representing you in trial.
Is your attorney familiar with the Texas breath testing equipment?
To the average criminal attorney, a breath test above the legal limit means you should plead guilty right out of the gate, even though he might not disclose this to you until he has received his legal fees. To a true DWI defense attorney, a failed breath test in no way means you are guilty of DWI.
Especially in a case involving a breath test failure, your attorney’s understanding of breath testing technology, and how alcohol is absorbed, distributed through, and eliminated from the body can be the difference between a conviction and being found not guilty. It is critical that your attorney be very knowledgeable about alcohol in the body and its effect on breath testing.
Can your attorney advise you of the breath testing machine’s shortcomings?
Does your attorney own a copy of the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Breath Alcohol Testing Regulations?
If he cannot answer these two questions positively, you may want to continue looking for a DWI attorney.
Is the attorney skilled in administration of standardized field sobriety tests?
Almost every prosecution involves results of field sobriety tests created by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA has admitted that these tests, to be reliable and indicative of intoxication, must be administered in the “prescribed standardized manner” each time they are administered by the officer. Any deviation in testing from the “prescribed standardized manner” affects the validity and reliability of the tests.
Your DWI attorney must know which field sobriety tests have been approved by NHTSA and whether they were administered correctly.
Your DWI attorney should also have a copy of the police officer field sobriety testing manual. If he does not, continue looking for an attorney. If he does have a manual, look to see if it is well worn. It will tell you a lot about his experience and ability to aggressively represent you in your pending DWI case.
Does the lawyer have any field sobriety test training?
More often than not, quality DWI attorneys have some training in the administration of field sobriety testing. The attorneys at Amdur & Bolton have taught law enforcement officers how to administer field sobriety tests correctly, write DWI case reports, investigate DWI cases and collect evidence, and how to testify in front of a jury or before a judge.
BOTTOM LINE: When your DWI attorney is the most knowledgeable person in the courtroom regarding DWI investigation and prosecution, your odds of being found not guilty increase at an astonishing rate.
How will my DWI attorney handle my driver license suspension hearing?
Some lawyers take an easy approach and conduct the hearing over the phone, or will have a hearing in a courtroom, but not subpoena the arresting officer. The most effective way to handle your suspension hearing is to subpoena the officer, look him in the eye, and ask them all of the details surrounding your arrest. The real defense of your case begins here, where your attorney can size up the officer and determine if he would be a strong trial witness or weak trial witness. Moreover, the officer’s recitation of the details relating to your arrest are preserved on a court record, which may be used later at trial. John Amdur and Brian Bolton will personally handle your suspension hearing, instead of letting another attorney take care of it.
How much will a quality DWI attorney cost?
With a lower fee comes less experience and skill in the area of DWI litigation. A lower fee attorney comes with the probability that your attorney will convince you to plead guilty. The lower the fee, the more affordable they are to more people, creating a volume turnover business. Experience, skill, and knowledge raise the fees that your attorney will charge. A higher fee should not turn you away from a DWI attorney. Remember what you are paying for and remember what is on the line – nothing less than your freedom. ARE YOU PREPARED TO PUT YOUR FREEDOM ON THE AUCTION BLOCK FOR THE LOWEST BIDDER?
Amdur & Bolton
3500 Oak Lawn Avenue, Suite 700
Dallas, TX 75219
Phone: 214-520-8223
Fax: 214-521-0012
Amdur & Bolton, based in Dallas, Texas, represents clients throughout North Texas, including the counties of Dallas, Collin, Tarrant and Denton, and the communities of Dallas, Irving, Mesquite, Garland, Grand Prairie, Plano, McKinney, Fort Worth, Arlington, Carrollton, Richardson, and Denton.
