Denver Criminal DUI Defense Lawyer
Kevin Churchill provides aggressive defense to all DUI charges in Denver and the surrounding Colorado counties. He is dedicated to protecting those accused of drunk driving in Colorado from unnecessary convictions and criminal penalties. Our clients do not plead guilty when a better outcome can be obtained. DUI and DWAI convictions can have life-changing consequences beyond the criminal court penalties involved. Those charged with DUI in Denver are typically everyday people such as commercial truck drivers or anyone else that must drive in order to make a living and support their family.
With 20 years of experience, Kevin Churchill has represented hundreds of clients in ColoradoF that have been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Experience in the field allows Mr. Churchill to uncover the weaknesses in the evidence against you.
Colorado DUI Laws
Colorado DUI laws have recently changed to include more severe penalties for those convicted of driving under the influence. It is more important than ever to have an expert DUI attorney when you have been charged with a drunk driving offense. Any offense that occurred after July 1, 2010 has increased mandatory minimum jail sentences attached, as well as the possible revocation of your driver's license. Mr. Churchill has represented those charged with DUI or DWAI in hundreds of cases. He handles cases throughout the Front Range and eastern Colorado. Please call our office immediately if you are facing charges, and by all means, do not plead guilty until an experienced attorney has thoroughly reviewed all aspects of your case.
Professional Licenses Affected by DUI in Denver, Colorado
- Airline Pilot
- Dentist
- Doctor
- Nurse
- Teacher
- Truck Driver
Denver DUI Attorney
The defense of a Denver DUI requires experience in a very specialized field. In addition to being well versed in evidentiary law, criminal law, and constitutional law, a good DUI attorney in Denver must understand the science behind your blood alcohol test, and have the experience to understand how the Denver police make DUI arrests. Every case is different, but the goal is always the same...
To minimize the impact a DUI arrest has on your life by reducing the charges against you or having the charges dropped altogether.
The consequences for a DUI conviction can include both lengthy jail sentences as well as the loss of your privilege to drive. Even first offenses carry a 9 month revocation of your driver's license — and mandatory jail if your blood alcohol content is very high. Our first objective is to help you avoid a conviction altogether, and if that cannot be done, then to help you avoid unreasonably harsh penalties in Denver courts and at the Colorado DMV.
The Cost of a DUI in Denver, Colorado
There are hefty court costs, fines, probation costs, alcohol treatment costs, increased insurance premiums, lost job opportunities, and so on. The fee that you will pay to have expert legal representation can be small by comparison. Drunk driving is a criminal offense, but with the added complexity of having scientific evidence that is unique to these types of cases. This is why it is best to hire a lawyer that specializes in DUI defense cases. Many people incorrectly assume that there is no chance to beat the case against them. It requires someone well-versed in this specialized field of law to help you determine if a conviction can be avoided in your particular case. Rarely are those breaks in the prosecutor's case apparent to someone who does not regularly practice law in this field. When a conviction cannot be avoided, it will help a great deal to have an attorney work to minimize the penalties that you will face in court – especially on second or subsequent offenses.
The defense of your case will involve many layers of analysis, beginning with the constitutionality, or legality, of your traffic stop (or contact from the police for whatever reason). If the police did not have reasonable suspicion or probable cause to stop you to begin with, then all of the evidence against you must be thrown out. If the evidence is legally admissible against you - then the analysis turns to the reliability and credibility of the evidence itself. With field sobriety tests being given incorrectly, breath machines committing testing errors, police failing to follow procedures, and evidence being improperly collected - many of those charged with DUI simply accept a conviction when there are DUI defense arguments.
Your guilt or innocence under Colorado DUI law rests on evidence that must be closely examined before you plead guilty to any drug or alcohol driving offense. The penalties for a DUI conviction are too great to ignore the possibility that the evidence against you is wrong. Experienced drunk driving defense involves never accepting the evidence on its face. We will scrutinize the evidence that other lawyers may assume can't be defeated, because we understand that DUI evidence is much more complicated than meets the eye. Please give our office a call. Mr. Churchill will directly answer any questions you may have regarding your case, and give you advice about what you should do to protect your criminal record and your driver's license.
We offer some advice about what to do when you have been pulled over on our page entitled DUI Arrest Advice. However, most people come to our website after they have already been arrested, and are now looking for advice on what steps to take to protect themselves:
The Steps You Should Take After You Have Been Arrested:
- Do not make any statements to the police. In fact, it is better to hand them your driver's license and other identification than it is to speak when they ask who you are. Certainly, the officer is going to note in his report that you had slurred speech – even in cases where you did not.
- Request a Colorado DMV hearing within seven days of taking a breath test or within seven days of refusing to take the test. In blood test cases, request a DMV hearing as soon as you are notified by the DMV of a pending license revocation. Always ask for the officer to be present.
- Retain an experienced Denver DUI lawyer to evaluate your case before the first court date, or the DMV hearing date. The sooner you hire a lawyer, the better, since it may take some time to answer the necessary questions of your particular case.
- Do not plead guilty, or assume that you are guilty. Contrary to what most people think, there are DUI defense arguments that can be used in most cases. DUI and DUID cases involve very complex evidence that must be collected by the police in a lawful manner, as well as a scientifically valid manner. Experienced representation is the only way to discover if the police, and the prosecution, have what they need to convict you.
We accept cases in all Denver area counties; including Jefferson County, Arapahoe County, Adams County, Boulder County, Douglas County, Broomfield County, Weld County, Larimer County, El Paso County, and many others. Our law office is centrally located in Denver and easily accessible from Interstate 25.
Arrest Advice...
- Cooperate, but politely decline to answer any questions by the police even if they seem like harmless questions.
- Do not take the hand held breath test in the field. Only take a breath test, usually at the police station, after you have been arrested.
- You can't demand to see an attorney during your arrest, but you should have a friend or family member contact a DUI attorney immediately or do so yourself as soon as you are released.
- If you don't hire an attorney right away, at least request a DMV hearing within 7 days.
The standard of proof being used against you is lower at the Colorado DMV. The arresting officer must prove you guilty by only a "Preponderance of the Evidence" in order for your license to be revoked. Besides representing you in the criminal DUI case against you, I can also represent you at your DMV hearing. In most cases, you won't need to be present.
