Jury Trials v. Bench Trials in a Gwinnett County DUI prosecution

In a DUI case (as well as in any criminal or traffic case), the accused never has to plead guilty or enter a guilty plea of any kind. In each and every case, ranging from a speeding citation or red light ticket, to a DUI and vehicular homicide case, you are entitled to a trial by jury. In order to convict you for a DUI, a Gwinnett county prosecuting attorney has to convince a jury that you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The verdict needs to be unanimous. This means that if a juror is not sure, and his or her mind has some doubt that you were DUI, they must acquit you. A skilled DUI lawyer can prepare a strong defense strategy and experienced Gwinnett County DUI attorneys have had great success in winning DUI trials. A  DUI lawyer should be contacted as early as possible following your DUI arrest in order to preserve evidence and build a a defense strategy.

In some cases, a trial by jury is not the only way to full contest your case. A bench trial, or trial in front of a judge instead of a jury, is effective in some instances. These are usually shorter and you can be reached for trial much sooner than if you opt for a jury trial. Bench trials tend to be appropriate when there is a strong legal or technical argument as to why the DUI charges against you are not justified. Talk to a DUI lawyer as soon as possible to discuss what route would be the best way to contest your charges.