If you've been charged with a DUI and you know that the evidence is stacked against you, you may decide that it's in your best interest to plead guilty or no contest. This is a valid legal strategy. However, you shouldn't make the mistake of thinking that you don't need to prepare or seek legal advice before your trial date. With a good lawyer and some smart strategizing before the trial, you can receive a lighter sentence or plead to a reduced charge that doesn't leave such a black mark on your record. Take a look at a few important things that you should do before your DUI trial.

Go to DUI School

DUI school is similar to the traffic schools that you might attend to have the points on your license removed after a moving violation, but DUI school focuses on drug and alcohol education and the consequence of drinking and driving. If you don't sign up before your trial, you'll almost certainly be ordered to attend as part of your sentence. However, signing up before your trial sends a signal to the judge that you're taking your offense seriously and are being proactive about dealing with it, which can work in your favor.

What's more, DUI school is often a necessary requirement for obtaining a hardship license – that is, a license that allows you to drive yourself to and from work during a period of license suspension. For example, Florida law requires proof of enrollment in DUI school, along with a 30-day wait, a search of your driving record, and an administrative hearing, in order to apply for one of the state's two classes of hardship licenses. While each state's laws may vary, chances are good that the sooner you enroll in DUI school, the sooner you'll be able to get back on the road.

Begin Drug and Alcohol Dependence Treatment

It's a good idea to find a drug and alcohol dependence program before trial and begin attending treatment sessions. This is especially important if this is not your first DUI offense or if the prosecution will be able to show a history of substance abuse in your life. However, it can be a helpful step even if this is your first offense. It shows you're serious about making sure you don't repeat the offense and can be helpful for negotiating a plea bargain to less serious charges.

You can attend free support group meetings or, if you have insurance or money to pay for it, you may choose to check yourself into a rehab facility. Before choosing a support group or rehab, check with your lawyer – a local DUI attorney may be able to recommend substance abuse programs that the prosecutor's office looks particularly favorably upon. Of course, you should choose the program that best suits your needs, but if possible, it doesn't hurt to choose one that the prosecution is known to approve of.

Start Doing Community Service Work

If you don't already have a regular volunteer activity, now is the time to find one and start clocking some hours. And if you do have a regular volunteer activity, you might want to put in some extra hours before your trial.

Why do that when you'll be busy with your regular job and obligations as well as the work of preparing for a trial? Partly because most DUI sentencing statutes include a community service requirement, and this is another way to show the judge that you're on top of things. But there's more as well. If you start doing some type of community service before your trial, chances are good that the judge will allow you to continue doing the same work at the same location until you've fulfilled the terms of your sentence. However, if you don't already have a volunteer history, the judge may assign you to a specific type of community service or leave it up to your probation officer to do so. If you'd prefer volunteering at your own church to picking up trash in public parks, it's a good idea to establish that ahead of time or you may find that you don't have the choice.

Your DUI attorney is accustomed to negotiating with prosecutors for a plea bargain with reduced charges, like reckless driving instead of DUI, and also petitioning judges for reduced sentences. You can help your attorney help you by doing as much as you can before the trial to show that you're taking responsibility for your actions. For more information about preparing for a DUI trial, contact a firm like Hart Law Offices, PC.