DUI Pleas in Pennsylvania

Many times, people charged with DUI in Pennsylvania get a plea bargain from the prosecutor handling their case. This is most likely to happen if the evidence against the person is not as strong as the prosecutor would like. If he feels there’s a good chance that he’ll lose, he will be more willing to agree to a plea bargain. Sometimes, it’s in the person’s best interest to allow their case to go to trial, but not always. In certain situations, entering into a plea bargain is the best option. Regardless of your circumstances, an experienced Pittsburgh DUI attorney is an essential part of getting your case resolved.

Plea Bargain Pros

There are times when a person who has been charged with DUI is allowed to plead to either a traffic violation or a lesser criminal charge. The advantages of this are as follows:

• Penalties that are less serious, such as not having to serve time in jail
• Lower fines and court costs, because there will be no trial
• Getting away without a DUI conviction, which impacts your sentence if you are charged any further times in the next ten years
• Avoiding a criminal conviction, if your plea bargain allows you to plead guilty to a traffic infraction

If the evidence against you is weak or defective, or if your charges are not excessively bad, you might be able to plead to a lesser crime and avoid a drunk driving conviction altogether. You might at least come away with a more favorable outcome to your case.

Trying to negotiate a plea bargain yourself is never a good idea. Nor is asking an attorney who specializes in something other than DUI to help you. You need a criminal defense attorney who is intimately acquainted with DUI law, the court system, and DUI arrests and science. A highly-trained DUI attorney understands the nuances of the law, and what to look for to discredit evidence. And, he knows the best defenses available given the details of your specific case, including if and when a plea bargain is the way to go. He knows what to say and to whom to get your charges dismissed or reduced. A lay person or someone whose law focus is in different areas will lack that knowledge and the connections needed to get a good plea deal.

Alternative Offenses You Can Plead Guilty to

There are many other criminal offenses that you might be able to plead guilty to in place of the driving under the influence charge. One possibility is reckless driving. The consequences of this charge are much less than that required for a driving under the influence conviction. Another possibility is speeding. The repercussions of a speeding violation are minor compared to what is required in a DUI case. If you have no previous driving under the influence convictions and no prior criminal history, and if the evidence against you is weak, you could have your DUI charge reduced to a traffic infraction. This would allow you to keep your criminal record clean because a traffic infraction is not a criminal offense. Typically, the only consequence you would have would be to pay a fine and court costs. Any of these things could be possible for you, depending on the specifics of your case.

Have you been charged with Driving Under the Influence? Are you looking for a plea bargain? Then you will need a criminal defense attorney experienced in handling DUI cases and plea bargains. The Logue Criminal Defense team has attorneys with hundreds of DUI cases under their belts, many of them pled out instead of having gone to trial. Logue Law Group has offices in Pittsburgh, PA, West Virginia, and Ohio. Call today to schedule a free initial consultation. (844) PITT-DUI or (412) 389-0805, or contact us online. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Someone will always answer.