DUI Court Process

Are you facing charges of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs? Maybe this is your first time ever being in trouble and you have no idea what to expect.

First, you should contact DUI attorney Michael Anzalone, who can help walk you through the legal process. He has helped many people facing DUI or DWI charges in New Hampshire and he can help you, too.

Your ordeal usually starts with a law enforcement officer pulling you over for any of a variety of reasons. Once he or she approaches your car, it is clear that you are slurring your words or have some other obvious sign of potential alcohol or drug use. They request a field sobriety test and possibly a blood alcohol test. And you may either agree or refuse that test.

Next, you head to jail. That’s when you’ll want to make sure you have a legal representative by your side before you talk to investigators about your case.

Keep in mind that a refusal do a blood alcohol test will trigger an automatic suspension of your driver’s license for 180 days if this is your first time or two years if it’s a subsequent refusal. Of course, submitting to a test that exceeds the state’s legal limit to drive (.08 percent for anyone over age 21), will also result in an automatic suspension.

At this point you’ll likely spend a night in jail. And then the court process will begin. You will probably be charged with DUI, DWI, Aggravated DUI or a subsequent DUI if it’s not the first time.

Your DUI attorney can help you through this process.

Next up will be a bail hearing, which may be either your first appearance hearing or an arraignment.

At this point, your attorney will advise you, you may be given an administrative license suspension. This acts as a temporary right to drive. But this is only good for 30 days. At the end of that time, you can request an administrative hearing to contest the suspension.

You will also need to work with DUI lawyer Michael Anzalone to determine how you will defend your case.

Drunk or impaired driving is not taken lightly in New Hampshire and you’ll learn that from police officers to judges, there is a hard-line attitude toward drunken drivers.

A drunken driving arrest can be devastating. Even if this is a first offense, the penalties are tough. For example, a conviction won’t likely bring jail time, but you could be fined up to $1,200 and have a license suspension of six months. If this is a second offense, you could be sent to jail and face a license suspension of up to three years.

So, you’ll want to hire an attorney who can help you get the best possible outcome. At The Anzalone Law Firm, we treat your case as a priority and we strive to help you get back on your feet as quickly as possible.

Please call 603.548.3797 today to schedule a free consultation with Michael Anzalone.