It is generally agreed upon when talking to your lawyer about any legal trouble that you tell them everything. However, “everything” is a broad term. Your lawyer doesn’t need to know “everything” about your life, but they do need to know everything that is pertinent to your case. This is why before you meet with your lawyer about your OVI case, you should have a few key notes written about your OVI arrest that you can inform them of so they can get to work on your case in order to get the best possible result.
Your Job
In many cases, your career has no merit on your case. However, if you engage in jobs such as an Uber driver or have a CDL license, an OVI conviction will have dramatic effects on your career. In cases of CDL license holders, punishments for those convictions are actually stricter than your standard auto driver. Furthermore, if you have security clearances for your job, and OVI can have an effect on that too. Your career may not have much of an effect on your case, but it will tell your lawyer that your livelihood is at risk.
The Day Of
Your lawyer will want to know how the day of your arrest was going. Were you feeling sick that day? Were you a little depressed? How about the weather when you were pulled over? What were you doing when pulled over? These can all have an important effect on your case.
The Arrest Procedure
When it comes to OVI cases, often the best way to get the case dropped is to find an issue with the arrest procedure. This doesn’t mean that you have to be overly familiar with proper arrest procedure, though. Often your OVI lawyer will ask the important questions to get information they need to know from you. They may ask you to go over the whole thing. Such as what the officer said when they first pulled you over, did they read you your rights, were you asked to do a breath test or other roadside OVI test, etc. Answer them as best as you can remember.
Medical Conditions
There are certain medical conditions and medications that can actually have negative effects on OVI breath tests that can lead to an arrest. Everything from over the counter cold medicine and mouthwashes to high ketone levels from diabetes or aggressive dieting can lead to positive over the limit breath tests. It is often the best option to disclose all medical conditions and medications to a lawyer, but if you don’t feel comfortable with that, they may simply ask to confirm or deny the pertinent ones.
The Truth
This can be the most obvious thing, but it is something that many struggle with whenever they meet a lawyer. The important thing to remember is you don’t need to defend yourself to your own lawyer. It is their job to defend you. They won’t judge if you were indeed intoxicated and driving a vehicle, but rather knowing that truth will help them look for small details that will get your case dropped or punishments otherwise lowered. Knowing the truth is crucial for a lawyer in order for them to fully help you.
Need Help?
If you have been arrested for an OVI, the last thing you want is for that to turn into a conviction. It is important that as soon as you are arrested for an OVI that you be proactive in your defense by contacting a lawyer. If you need help, contact us today. The Dungan & LeFevre Law Firm is dedicated to helping those in trouble in Ohio to the best of our ability so they don’t have to suffer unfair punishments.