This is an important topic because when you choose your DUI attorney, you have to have somebody with all the critical skills necessary to get you the result you want—whether that result is a not-guilty verdict or the best resolution in the case.

The first thing is that the person has to see the judge and the judge's tendencies to handle your DUI case in Los Angeles because the judge is an essential factor. The judge does have a say in how the case will be dealt with.

So, knowing the judge and also being local to the courthouse is crucial. Because if you're local to the court, you also know the prosecutors and the prosecutors are the ones who are going to file the case. They're the ones who will prosecute the case, and they are the ones that the person will have to know how to deal with.

So, you must know the prosecutor, know their tendencies, and know the chain of command in the prosecutor's office. So, if you're going to try to resolve the case through a negotiated plea, you can do so most effectively.

In other words, you're going to get all the ammunition together—I get character letters and a whole mitigation package related to my client—and then I have to go to the right person. I have to know who to talk to, and I have to know what will make a difference. What to say, who to talk to, and what things will count on getting the result your client wants.

Ability To Win a DUI Case at Trial

More than just negotiating claims, a DUI defense attorney must have the ability to take a case to trial and win. This separates them from the many 'paper tigers' in Los Angeles who lack the skills or confidence to do so.

They can't try a case. Do you think it will bother the prosecutors if this person talks crazy and says many different things? Not. Prosecutors aren't going to care. They know the paper tiger will not do anything and will not do what is necessary to try the case, if necessary.

So, suppose you need that ability. In that case, you're going to have a real problem when it comes to getting the deal you want in a criminal case because the prosecutor won't be worried about you trying the case and beating them and embarrassing them.

Client Reviews, Track Record, Likeability

So, your criminal defense attorney has to have the ability to win a case. And the way you figure that out is you talk to them. You go to their face-to-face. You look at them. You look at their client reviews. You look at their track record.

You ask about their prior cases, and then you'll get a feel for what type of criminal defense attorney you have and what kind of DUI defense attorney you have to win a case.

The last thing you need to evaluate when choosing a criminal defense attorney, and the best characteristic, is likeability. What I mean by that is, when you meet with him and you talk to him, do you like him? Do they seem like they know what they're doing? This is not just a preference; it's a comfort factor.

Do they seem like somebody the judge, the prosecutor, and a potential jury might respect? Because that's key. If your attorney doesn't have personality, he isn't a likable individual in any DUI defense case. You're not going to be in an excellent position to get that not-guilty verdict. You're not going to be in a perfect place to negotiate a case because they're not going to respect and like your attorney.

This is the same thing in anything in life. If you're likable, if they respect you, you're going to be able to get what you want. That's what you need, and I am all about it. Come and sit down with me face to face. We're going to talk about your case, and we're going to figure out the best strategy. You're going to see that I know how to handle DUI cases, and I know how to get you the result you must have.