If you have been accused of Drunk Driving, when you enter a plea to the charges of DUI you will also need to sign an acknowledgement of rights. If you have retained an attorney, you DUI lawyer may be able to file a document with the Court stating that he has explained your rights to you. Those rights come from a combination of the federal constitution, the state constitution, and Montana law.

Although it isn’t an exhaustive list of every right you enjoy as someone accused of a crime in the U.S., it is a pretty good outline of the major ones. For example, as I have talked about numerous times before, the prosecution must prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. YOU ARE PRESUMED TO BE INNOCENT. Too often we just pay that phrase lip service and forget what it really means. But it is the cornerstone of our justice system and something everyone needs to be reminded of.

You also have to the right to appear before a judge or magistrate.

You have the right to remain silent and refuse to testify during any stage of the proceedings. Your silence does nto imply any wrongdoing on your part and cannot be used against you.

You have the right to enter a plea of not guilty and to have a trial by a judge or a jury.

You have the right to a speedy and public trial within six months of your entry of a not guilty plea.

You have the right to confront witnesses called to testify against you,a nd to cross examine those witnesses.

You have the right to present evidence in your defense at trial and to comel the attendance of witnesses with subpoenas issued by the Court.

You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, you may ask the Court to appoint one for you. A public defender will be appointed if you qualify financially.

The problem with rights are that they need to be protected. Vigilantly. Or else people tend to walk all over them. One of my most important jobs as a DUI defense attorney is to know all the rights my clients have, and be on the constant lookout for anyone trying to violate them.

If you are unsure what rights you have in a DUI case, please call me today to schedule a free meeting to discuss your situation. My number is 406-752-6373 and I am always happy to discuss my favorite topic: protecting the rights of those accused of a crime.

For people accused of DUI, or any crime, in Montana, a large number of constitutional protections apply. These include protections against unlawful search and seizure, the protection against Double Jeopardy, and the right to a jury trial. As I’ve discussed before, the State must prove all the elements of a charge beyond a reasonable doubt. The person (or people) they must prove this to is called the fact finder. For both misdemeanor DUIs and felony DUIs, the defendant has a constitutional right to select a jury trial.

In a jury trial, the fact finder is the jury. Citizens from the county where the trial is taking place will make up the jury. For example, if you are charged with DUI in Flathead County, Montana – the jurors will come from Flathead County. If you are charged with DUI in Lake County, Montana – the jurors will come from Lake County.

The jury should consist of people who know nothing (or as little as possible) about you and the facts of this case. The reason for this is very important. Only admissible evidence can be considered by the jury when they are reaching their verdict. And everything that is printed in the newspaper may not be admissible. Everything that your neighbor might know about the case might not be admissible. If a jury member comes to the trial already knowing things that should not be considered, it is ridiculous to think that they will completely forget that fact for the purposes of the trial. In fact, it is probably ridiculous to think that they won’t tell their fellow jurors what they know. Everyone likes to know a secret.

In a jury trial, the jury considers the admissible evidence and then decides whether the State has proven the elements of the charge beyond a reasonable doubt. If the jury finds that the State failed to prove even one element beyond a reasonable doubt, they should find the defendant not guilty. How this works in practice is a different matter, and one I would be happy to discuss with you. I offer a free consultations to answer exactly these kinds of questions. Call me at (406) 752-6373 to schedule your free meeting.

Paul Sullivan, Esq.

Paul is a partner at Measure, Sampsel, Sullivan & O'Brien, P.C. in Kalispell, MT. He is an ivy-league educated, DUI Lawyer specializing in defending Montanans accused of Driving Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol. He represents clients across Montana in misdemeanor and felony charges, and license hearings.
Call 752-6373 today for a free initial consultation.