Should I Find a “Local” Lawyer to Represent Me in My Michigan Drunk Driving (DUI) Case?

Response:  There are advantages and disadvantages to hiring "local" counsel.  The advantage of course is that presumably the local lawyer will know his or her "way around the courthouse" better than an "out-county" lawyer.  Such familiarity will help you feel at ease because you'll see (hopefully) the court staff responding positively to your attorney.  It will also help you feel at ease when the judge greets your lawyer warmly by name.  Finally, having "connections" or being known locally can help in the negotiation process, particularly when it comes down to plea and/or sentence bargaining.  Otherwise, with few exceptions, there are uniform rules of procedurethat apply to all lawyers, judges and attorneys, and these do not change from location to location.

There are also some potential negatives to hiring a well known "local" lawyer because these lawyers are sometimes will be less willing to "make waves" or "push the envelope" when defending your case.   Instead such a lawyer may want to make the judge like him or her by helping the judge "move the docket" meaning by persuading the client to plead guilty even when it may not be in the client's best interest.  In these cases the lawyer is really more concerned about his or her own well being than that of the client.

In my view you don't want someone who knows the judge really well, you want someone who knows the law really well, and this is why you want the best lawyer you can afford.  Properly and effectively defending alcohol related crimes requires a huge amount of specialized knowledge, and often means doing things that are creative or unorthodox, the kind of things judges may view as a waste of time.  Truth be told, there are judges that view trial, or any other kind of contested hearing, (any kind of a defense really) as a big waste of time.  These judges are, like the attorneys that share their court rooms, simply self-interested.  The only person who will be genuinely interested in the outcome of your case will be an attorney who is completely "independent" of the system, and whose self interest is in winning cases not making or being friends with the judge.

At the Barone Defense Firm we spend huge sums of time, effort and frankly money to maintain the highest level of continuing education.  Very few lawyers or law firms can devote such resources to this endeavor, and this includes all the time I spend personally in writing about the law. The books and articles I have written and continue to write are intended to help educate other lawyers and the general public about all the many facets of defending alcohol related crimes.  The bottom line is that this type of specialized knowledge helps the Barone Defense Firm defend and win these cases.  No one in Michigan knows more ways to win a DUI case than we do.

Our office is located in Birmingham, Oakland County Michigan, but I recommend that you find the best lawyer you can afford, regardless of location.  You should be also be aware however that although we do not charge extra for travel, our fees are already much higher than many other lawyers.  This is particularly true in smaller communities where local lawyer may charge fees that are many times lower than ours.

My suggestion is that you interview different lawyers, and when comparing fees make sure you compare "apples with apples,” After doing so, decide who has the type of training, knowledge and desire to aggressively and appropriately represent you in your case.   Keep in mind however that the best lawyers consistently get the best results, and at the Barone Defense Firm, results and winning is what we’re all about.