In 2016, the FBI estimated that there were more than 1.5 million arrests for drug law violations in the United States. Of those arrests, more than 80 percent of them were for possession of a controlled substance.
As if that isn’t enough, each day, people drive drunk almost 300,000 times, but fewer than 4,000 are arrested. In fact, an average drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before their first arrest.

For those facing drug or alcohol charges, not knowing what steps to take may result in penalties and maybe even a jail sentence. It’s important to act quickly and do two things immediately.

• Stay sober: Those facing drug charges are likely to be drug tested several times, so it’s in a person’s best interest to stay sober if they are facing a drug charge. Passing sobriety tests can help someone’s case, but it is also an important step in the addition recovery process.
• Contact a lawyer: If someone is facing drug or alcohol charges, an important step in their defense is contacting a criminal defense attorney or a DUI attorney. A lawyer can help guide a person through the legal process and can also help negotiate an agreement to help a person avoid jail time.

For those facing drug and alcohol charges, having charges brought against you can be very stressful, especially if you’re at a loss as to how to protect yourself from penalties or jail. You can always choose to represent yourself in a case, but an experienced criminal defense attorney or DUI attorney can help an accused person navigate the twists and turns of the legal system and help them have a chance to tell their side of the story.

For those facing drug and alcohol charges, here are five ways a criminal defense attorney or a DUI attorney can benefit you:

• Experience in defense: An experienced criminal defense attorney knows the ins-and-outs of criminal law and how to deal with the court system. Criminal defense attorneys also have experienced building solid defense cases for those facing drug charges and other crimes. Having a criminal defense attorney or DUI attorney who can examine facts and evidence and provide quality legal representation can be a real boost to anyone who is accused of a crime.
• Penalty protection: Depending on what a person is charged with and their history with the law, a prosecutor can come down hard on someone accused of a crime, even if they were falsely accused. A criminal defense attorney can protect an accused person from harsh penalties and help negotiate deals. An attorney can also help acquit an accused person of false charges and protector someone against unfair sentencing.
• They do the talking: Hiring a criminal defense attorney ensures that any law enforcement officials have to talk to them first rather than talking to you. This prevents you from being forced to give testimony against your will and making choices you may later regret. Having legal counsel in your corner ensures that you’ll have someone to help walk you through the legal process instead of implicating yourself under duress.
• Saving time: It’s been established that those facing drug and alcohol charges or other crimes deal with the stress of being charged. This can be especially true if someone has been falsely accused of a crime. Criminal defense lawyers can help ease the stress by saving you time. Since they know the criminal justice system, they can help speed up proceedings.
• Strategizing: Every criminal case is different, even for those facing drug and alcohol charges and that requires lawyers to be able to prepare different defense strategies. Experienced lawyers will be able to look at the evidence in your case, the events surrounding it and the circumstances and come up with the appropriate strategy to help you. Based on the strategy, a defense attorney will know the best way to help you and represent you.

Facing criminal charges of any kind can be a scary proposition, but hiring the right DUI attorney or criminal defense lawyer can have numerous benefits going forward. Sites like Nolo.com can help you find the best legal representation for your case.