If you are accused of leaving the scene of an accident (hit and run), with or without a DUI(OUI) charge, we can help.
People often panic after an accident. You may not have known what to do next, or you may have simply been scared of what could happen to you if you stopped. This is especially true if you’d be drinking and were in an accident, even if you don’t think you were drunk.
We hear stories similar to this almost every day. As well as drunk driving defense, my firm represents more clients facing leaving the scene of an accident charges than any other law firm in Massachusetts.
Leaving the scene charges on their own are nearly always charged via a criminal citation to a clerk magistrate’s hearing. We can absolutely help you in that situation, and can almost always avoid a criminal charge and a criminal record for most minor incidents without any injuries.
I was arrested for DUI and leaving the scene. What should I do?
If you were arrested for both these charges, most likely it means that the police saw you driving, and perhaps arrested you at your home. Or there was an accident, and the police are accusing you of attempting to flee the scene.
Either, way a DUI charge is the more serious of the 2 offenses. The details of the situation will matter a great deal, since there are a wide variety of scenarios to discuss and work through.
- We can fight the DUI in court, but possibly admit to the facts of the hit and run (will still working to avoid a criminal conviction.)
- We can challenge the entire case and all evidence against you at trial, or in a motion to suppress hearing.
- We can work out a deal for the minimum penalty allowed by law for the DUI (a CWOF) and plead to the hit and run for no extra penalties, or just get it dismissed.
I received a criminal citation for leaving the scene and/or DUI. What should I do?
If you got a criminal citation in the mail, that means the police didn’t see you driving, or didn’t arrest you because of the accident.
I deal with a number of these scenarios on my citations page. The addition of a hit and run charge on top of this makes it slightly more complicated, but not that much.
If the police didn’t witness you driving, we again have a few different options for your legal defense.
Hit and Run with a DUI charge? Don’t Worry, We Can Help!
DUI offenses and leaving the scene of an accident cases are the 2 most common criminal charges that we defend at The Law Offices of Russell J Matson, PC. So if you happen to be accused of both of these offenses at the same time, you’ve come to the right place to get help.
Please call us right away for some helpful advice, and to put your mind at least.
Even if you haven’t received a criminal citation in the mail yet, but think you will, give us a call and we’ll go over the next likely steps. Remember, for any criminal citation, you have only 4 days to send it in to the courts to request a clerk magistrate’s hearing. You should absolutely do this every time. The Clerks hearing is a potential opportunity to get the case dismissed before it even formally is charged with a crime.
The Clerk’s hearing is a potential opportunity to get the case dismissed before it even formally is charged with a crime. Even if the crime is formally charged, and you end up getting arraigned, we’ve got a jump on your defense, and can start working on the best defense options for the minimum possible penalty right away.
