Cambridge, Drunk Driving Defense Lawyer

Finding yourself in a situation where you stand charged with driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol can be a terrifying experience, and even more so if you were incorrectly or unfairly charged. At the Cambridge-based law office of Altman & Altman LLP, we specialize in helping defend people who find themselves in this predicament.

Whether it is your first drunk driving charge or it has happened in the past, consulting with an attorney to assess the best course of action is crucial. Whether you know it or not, you do have options following a drunk driving arrest, and they mainly boil down to whether or not you fight the charge or accept it and enter a plea. Both situations involve pros and cons which we can help explain.

When considering what to do in regards to a charge for drunk driving or other forms of impaired driving, it is important to keep in mind realistic expectations. If you were driving while well over the legal limit of intoxication (.08 on a scale of what is known as blood/alcohol content or “BAC”), got pulled over by a police officer and took a breathalyzer test to confirm your BAC level, it will be difficult or impossible to fight this charge.

However, in some cases you may have been below the legal limit but were arrested by a suspecting officer anyways – perhaps you have balance issues that made it seem you were more impaired than you really were. Perhaps you refused a chemical breathalyzer test because you were put on the spot and didn’t know that this immediately triggered an arrest for DUI.

At Altman & Altman we understand how immensely complex the law can be, and we also realize how scary it can be when you realize that you have just potentially made a mistake that could have lifelong implications on your driving record, result in you losing your license and cost thousands in fines. If you feel as though you were wrongfully charged for drunk driving, we will be able to argue on your behalf at Cambridge District Court and potentially get the whole charge thrown out.

If you opt to admit that you simply made a mistake and take a plea, this will have the positive benefit of not going on your record as a conviction. You will enter a 1-year probationary period and lose your license for between 45-90 days (on top of the 180-day automatic suspension if you refused a chemical breathalyzer test.

Entering a plea means you will also have to take an alcohol education class and pay around $1,400 in fines. Our defense attorneys can help assist you to set up the class and a payment plan for the fines if you are unable to pay outright.

If you are charged with a second DUI within 10 years of the first charge, taking a plea deal will have more severe consequences, including an up to 2-year probationary period (with the possibility of some jail time), a more extensive alcohol awareness program (two weeks inpatient care with 26 weeks of outpatient care afterwards), fines of over $2,000 and a loss of your license for two years. If you refused a breathalyzer test prior to your second DUI charge, you will trigger a 3-year loss of your license, which will be added to the 2-year loss for a total of five years.

If the second charge occurred more than 10 years since the first one, the consequences will be slightly different but still very severe. It is important to understand what decision you are making prior to making it, which is why consulting with a defense attorney is important.

Nobody expects to find themselves in a situation where they are faced with such a decision, but we can make the process less scary and less confusing. In certain circumstances, we may be able to instill enough doubt that you were guilty of the drunk driving charge, and you may be totally exonerated. There is no way to know what is possible unless you reach out to us.

Call for a free consultation to go over the details of your case today at 617-492-3000 or toll-free at 800-481-6199. We are available 24/7.