Even if this is your very first time being charged with a DUI offense, being convicted of this crime can result in very serious consequences. For instance, you may lose your driving privileges for an extended period of time, be required to attend rehabilitation sessions, be forced to pay several hefty fines, and even be sentenced to time in jail. With so much on the line, it is important for you to know that there are several difference defense strategies that may be used to help get the charges against you dismissed or to secure a not-guilty verdict if your case does in fact go to trial.

Whether you're a firearm enthusiast or just have one or two guns for home protection, you're likely already taking safety precautions with your collection. Locking your unloaded firearms in a gun safe and taking other security measures to limit outside access can go a long way toward keeping you and your guns safe. However, theft can still happen -- and if your gun is later used to commit a crime, you may find yourself facing steep criminal charges, or even jail time.

Movies and television stress the importance of you requesting a defense attorney if you've become a suspect in a criminal case. While that is vital for you to know, there are other situations where you will want to have a lawyer on call if you are interacting with the police -- even if you aren't a suspect. Here are a couple of scenarios where it's still best to have a lawyer by your side.

If you have a few drinks out with friends or at dinnertime and then plan to get into your vehicle to drive home, you may be making a fatal mistake. Besides the fact that you have an increased risk at having an accident or injuring yourself or others, you also risk being pulled over by police or going through a checkpoint. Here is what would happen if you happen to get caught drinking and driving when you have had too much to get behind the wheel: