If you cannot afford an attorney, the court may appoint you one payable at the public's expense as long as you meet the eligibility requirements. People with prior OUI's who get charged with additional OUI offenses may be charged as repeat offenders and, if convicted, may confront much longer potential jail terms, higher costs, more severe penalties, possible license revocation, higher bonds, or other potential sanctions. Further, if a person is charged with a third OUI offense, they could be charged with a felony. However, regardless of the circumstances, the burden of proof is on the prosecutor. If the prosecutor is unable to procure the necessary proofs, a pending case may be dismissed or dropped. In certain situations, effective advocacy by the defense through the use of timely motions may result in court-orders prohibiting the introduction of certain key pieces of evidence. However, those motions may not be available depending on a person's circumstances. Anyone charged with a moving violation should strongly consider retaining a lawyer to assist them. They need to know their rights. Most attorneys provide free initial consultations.
Answered on Feb 06th, 2012 at 12:13 PM