What Are Some Things to Include in a DUI Reference Letter?

The purpose of a Driving Under the Influence reference letter to a court is to highlight the positive role of a defendant in the community, states Colorado-based attorney H. Micheal Steinberg. Letter writers should introduce their relationship with the defendant and include details about his reputation within the community. Letters generally include examples of positive personality traits of the defendant relating to his daily life, such as being an upstanding citizen, a good family man or a hard worker.

Reference letters are used to give a judge an overall picture of a defendant and the type of life he lives daily. The letter for a DUI case shouldn’t minimize the seriousness of the drunk-driving offense or try to give excuses, states attorney H. Micheal Steinberg. These letters should be concise and provide some positive attributes of the defendant’s character.

A reference letter for a DUI case can suggest that the defendant is generally a moral and responsible person and that the DUI event seems out of character, suggests attorney Gary F. Pirosko on the Avvo website. The letter also can explain that the writer believes the defendant is deeply sorry for what he did and has learned from the experience.