DON'T PAY A LIFETIME FOR ONE MISTAKE
PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS... AND YOUR REPUTATION
One look at the headlines and it may seem that 2007 was the year of celebrity DUI. But even if you are not Brittany, Lindsey, or Paris, you have every reason to not want your arrest for DUI to be front page news.
DUI arrests are a matter of public record, however there are laws in place to protect your rights to privacy. Recently the Ohio Supreme Court ruled against an Ohio Newspaper that was suing to get the names of all Ohioans convicted of drunk driving to publish in the paper citing the Drivers Privacy Protection Act. Beyond that however an expert DUI attorney knows how to keep high-profile DUI arrests out of the public eye. And remember you do not have to be an A-list celebrity to not want a public spectacle made of your DUI arrest. Public Officials, police officers, firefighters and EMT's face can face the same issues as pop stars when arrested for DUI. In any case a quaffed DUI attorney who specializes in such high-profile drunk driving cases can help.
One way that a DUI attorney may be able to keep a DUI arrest quiet is to suggest a plea bargain. Another popular way to handle DUI cases involving celebrities, public officials, or other VIP's is to recommend a grand jury hearing. A grand jury investigates both civil and criminal matters in special proceedings that are closed to the public. In a criminal grand jury as would be the case with someone charged with DUI, the prosecutor would present the case to the grand jury. Once the presentation of evidence is completed, the grand jury deliberates in secret. After attempts to get your drunk driving case thrown out, or plea bargained to a lesser traffic offense fail, your Florida DUI lawyer may petition for a grand jury hearing. The grand jury hearing is appealing to drunk driving defense lawyers who handle high profile clientele because the proceedings are secret investigations. Witnesses who testify in a DUI case before a grand jury are ordered not to reveal anything about their testimony to anybody. This is a way your DUI defense attorney can keep the media unaware that an investigation is even going on. The grand jury process can often deflect the glare of the media spotlight on witnesses and the person accused of the DUI.
The goal of any good DUI defense lawyer is not only to help you stay out of jail and retain your driving privileges, but also to strive to keep your name out of the paper whenever possible.