The phrase “Fort Myers DUI Lawyers” crops up often after a wild night out has changed your week. If you’ve been arrested for DUI in Fort Myers, it can feel a bit like running a gauntlet. What next? Let’s walk through each step without sugarcoating or droning on.

First up: the arrest. Sirens, red and blue flashing everywhere, your heart in your throat. Officers will probably put you through field sobriety tests — walk that straight line, touch your nose, recite the alphabet. Fail these, and you’re whisked off to the station to blow into something less forgiving than a birthday balloon. This evidence becomes key later. Sometimes it helps; sometimes it sinks you.

After your release, paperwork in hand, most folks hunt for a lawyer. A Fort Myers DUI Lawyer hears stories like yours every week. Their first look isn’t just at your side of the story, but at any police mistakes. Was the stop even legal? Did the officer handle the breathalyzer improperly? Small errors could change the outcome.

The real fun begins with the arraignment. Here, you’ll enter a plea: guilty, not guilty, or no contest. If your lawyer suggests otherwise, ask “why?” Curiosity is your best weapon. At this stage, strategy boils down to chess played on a legal board.

Discovery follows — not as magical as it sounds. The lawyer combs through police reports, videos, and lab results. Sometimes they find threads to pull. Maybe the field sobriety test was botched due to uneven pavement. Maybe the breath test machine hadn’t been calibrated since disco was popular.

The pre-trial phase is where the sausage of justice gets made. Your lawyer may negotiate with prosecutors. Sometimes deals are offered. Sometimes nothing budges and you head to trial. A trial isn’t Law & Order: you may sit for hours while experts squabble over blood-alcohol levels and police procedure.