Why pay a San Diego DUI Attorney Fee You Would Not Use? Why Most DUI Cases Do Not Go to Trial
Doing research on the Internet is an effective way of securing an excellent San Diego DUI Attorney.
Online searches can help make sure you do not get charged too much by a prospective Lawyer in San Diego.
Some local San Diego DUI Lawyers and out-of-town Drunk Driving / DWI / DUI Attorneys based out of Los Angeles County, Riverside County and Orange County offer fee quotes which “include” any “trial” fees.
Be careful.
What these attorneys will not explain is that most criminal cases are resolved without going to trial. Although a trial is the most high-profile phase of the criminal justice process, the vast majority of criminal cases are resolved well before trial — through guilty or no-contest pleas, plea bargains, or dismissal of charges.
That is correct.
Prominent DUI Attorneys in San Diego County, from El Cajon to Chula Vista California, know that about 98% to 95% of cases do NOT go to trial.
In other words, only 2% to 5% of cases DO end up in trial.
So why would you want to pay in advance for something that you would not use or need?
Charges can be dropped.
If charges are dropped, do you need a trial?
If charges are dropped, did you need to have paid in advance for a trial?
Bottom line: most cases result in a plea bargain.
Click here to see what the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office FAQ (frequently asked questions) website says about this.
About 95% of all criminal cases settle before trial, according to a San Diego County Office.
The main reason most cases do not end up in trial – there simply are not enough resources for the 1,000’s of annual San Diego County criminal cases.
That does not mean your case will not be set for trial.
That does not mean your attorney will not prepare your case as if it is going to trial.
That just means your case most likely will not result in being decided by a jury.
A criminal defense attorney’s reputation, pretrial preparation & organizational skills helps avoid a trial.
For your ultimate outcome, the lawyer you select as your “mouthpiece” and your Hired Gun can assist in the final determination.
If you want a trial, you have a right to a trial.
In the unlikely event you wish to have a jury trial in your criminal matter, you can have a trial.
But should you have to pay for a trial in advance without knowing if a trial will actually happen or not?
At any point, if you do not want a trial, you do not have to have a trial.
In the end, you truly want the best outcome.
You can now find a reasonably-priced DUI Attorney in San Diego County who can get you the most favorable result. That should be the best for you.
Which 2004 study shows the very low percentage of DUI cases that actually end up in trial? George F. Cole’s study, conducted over a 1 year period in the San Diego Superior Court, shows that less than 3% of all drug related cases (alcohol is a drug) actually result in a trial.
People normally only decide on a trial later, after their DUI defense attorney finds out what evidence will be presented by the prosecution, the strength of that evidence and the strength of any defense counter-evidence vs. the merits of any pretrial offer.
The focal point regarding one’s right to a trial is that the accused – not the Judge, DUI prosecutor or DUI defense lawyer – decides whether to proceed to trial usually after weeks to months after hiring the chosen San Diego DUI criminal defense lawyer (but not at the time of retaining an attorney).