When are plea bargains available in DUI cases?
Most states do not have rules that dictate the time during which plea bargains may be offered. However, some courts do set limits as to when they will entertain or accept plea bargains in DUI cases. Most judges in most states have the ability to reject or refuse to accept any plea bargain. Some state, Oregon for example, actually have laws that prohibit plea bargaining in DUI cases. This is, however, more the exception than the rule. In states that allow plea bargaining, it can typically be offered and entered at any time. How are plea bargains obtained? Some DUI prosecutors include an initial plea offer when they send the police report to the DUI defense lawyer. Others want to wait for at least a month into the case to make sure that a complete background check can be done to discover any prior convictions or arrests that might impact the type of plea bargain they offer. The initial plea offer is often times far from the best offer available. This is more typically the case when the i
