a) What percentage of your cases are DUIs?
It is literally a full-time job keeping up with DUI law and science, and serving DUI clients in a professional, complete and conscientious manner. Ideally, the attorney you choose should devote 95% or greater of his/her time to defending impaired driving charges. At a minimum, the DUI defense lawyer should spend at least half of his/her time on DUIs. An attorney who does personal injury, divorce, bankruptcy, wills and DUI (although probably a good attorney and a good person) is not going to serve all his/her clients well all the time. Even a full time criminal defense lawyer who defends all kinds of crimes cannot turn over every stone in your DUI case. The law is too vast and complex for one person to conquer all areas.
b) What percentage of your DUI (and other criminal cases) cases plead guilty to a non-reduced charge?
Keep in mind that you don't necessarily need an attorney to plead guilty as charged. Some so-called DUI defense lawyers plead 100% of their DUI clients out, without so much as a cut to a lesser charge or a break in sentencing.
c) How many DUI cases have you handled in the last couple of years?
The law changes constantly. Although a lawyer may have handled thousands of cases years ago, it is their most recent experience that assures they are tune with the law, the courts and the prosecutors. Beware of the lawyer you have to dust off.
d) What DUI specific training do you have?
Some have been prosecutors. Some cops. Some have undergone training in alcohol science or field testing. Some have simply read a book. Some regularly network and plan with other dedicated DUI lawyers through forums like the National College for DUI Defense and various other groups, while others do nothing.
e) What kind of stamina and support staff do you have?
This question, while in the past irrelevant, is becoming increasingly important in Arizona DUI cases. A new court rule says that all DUI cases must either end by a plea bargain or go to trial within 6 months from their start date. This didn't use to be the case. Your attorney must now have the energy and resources to litigate your case in a compressed time-frame.
