This is a crucial question that helps you immediately identify whether your lawyer is a courtroom veteran or someone who pleas out every Tampa DUI case that they handle.
THE TRUTH is that not every Tampa DUI case goes to trial. In fact, most of them won’t. But, if you need to go to trial in order to get the outcome you desire, then it will be imperative that your Tampa DUI defense attorney has a significant amount of jury trial experience.
Ask your lawyer how many cases they’ve taken to trial, and whether they served as the lead trial lawyer, or if they were in a backup role.
There’s no magic number of trials that your lawyer should have taken to verdict, but obviously, the more courtroom experience they possess, the better.
One reason why trial experience is important when selecting your lawyer is because it’s a good indicator of whether or not they’re willing to really fight your case all the way.
Another reason why trial experience is important is because prosecutors will sometimes make better plea offers if they know that your attorney isn’t bluffing when he or she says, “Set it for trial.”
The courthouse community is a small community, so most prosecutors will know your lawyer’s reputation for going to trial (or not). If your attorney never goes to trial, the prosecutor knows that they can make a harsher plea offer, because your lawyer will fold up on the day of trial and convince you to take whatever plea offer the government offers.
But, if your Tampa DUI lawyer has a reputation for taking cases to trial (and winning), then the prosecutor may be more likely to give you a better plea offer, especially if your case is one that’s “on the bubble” between a reckless driving plea or a plea to DUI.
Elliott Wilcox has extensive courtroom experience, having served as the lead trial lawyer in nearly 200 criminal jury trials, as well as countless non-jury trials. To give you an idea of how significant that number is, understand that most trial lawyers can go their entire career without trying even 20 cases to verdict. If your Tampa DUI case needs to go to trial, you can rest assured that you’ll be represented by an attorney who knows his way around the courtroom and understands the dynamics of successfully presenting courtroom cases.
To contact a Tampa DUI lawyer with significant jury trial experience who can help you with your Tampa DUI case, call (855) THE-DUI-GUY (855-843-3844) TODAY.
Here are more questions you MUST ask before choosing your Tampa DUI attorney:
"Are You a Member of the National College for DUI Defense?"
"How many cases have you taken to jury trial?"
"How many years have you been in practice?"
"What percentage of your practice focuses on DUI defense?"
"Who will REALLY be handling my case?"
"What was the last DUI defense seminar you attended?"
"Have you ever been a DUI prosecutor?"
"Do you limit the number of DUI clients you represent?"
"Have you ever been disciplined by the Florida Bar?"
"What are the potential costs (experts, trial, etc) for my DUI ?"
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NEXT STEP: Speak with a DUI Lawyer Today
If you’ve been arrested for DUI, no matter how bad the case looks, don’t ever plead guilty without first talking to a Tampa DUI lawyer. There may even be a way that can get your charges dismissed, but you’ll never know unless you fight your charges by talking to a Tampa DUI lawyer as soon as possible. Many of the issues in DUI cases are very time sensitive. DUI cases are serious, with harsher penalties than many felony cases, and the “hidden cost” of DUI insurance that can easily climb past $25,000! (Good news: You can avoid almost all of that if your DUI lawyer gets the DUI dropped or gets the charge reduced!)

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Tampa DUI Attorney Elliott Wilcox has handled thousands of DUI cases. He is a member of the National College for DUI Defense, a founding member of the DUI Defense Lawyers Association, and a life member of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Elliott exclusively helps drivers accused of Driving Under the Influence (DUI).
If you want your best chance for avoiding a DUI, you should call an experienced Tampa DUI attorney today. To talk to Elliott about the different options for saving your license and defending your DUI case, call toll-free at (855) THE-DUI-GUY (855-843-3844) or (813) 699-5517 today!