How Can a DUI Lawyer Columbus, GA, Help You Fight Your Charges
If you’ve been arrested for a DUI offense, you need the professional help of a DUI Lawyer in Columbus, GA, to protect your rights. Get help now.
How Does a DUI Work?
A DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs) typically starts when a police officer pulls someone over because they have made a traffic offense or their driving seems erratic. The next step involves the officer conducting field sobriety tests or chemical tests such as a breath test, urine test, or blood test to determine the driver’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC).
If their blood alcohol level exceeds the legal limit, the driver will face a DUI arrest for drunk driving.
There is no doubt that being charged with DUI can be frightening and overwhelming. Some people believe that a DUI charge automatically equals a DUI conviction, but this is not always the case, especially with the right Columbus, GA, DUI attorney at your side.
DUI Laws in Columbus, GA
According to Georgia DUI laws, it’s illegal to operate a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of:
- 0.08% if the driver is 21 or older and driving a passenger vehicle
- 0.04% if driving a commercial vehicle
- 0.02% if the driver is younger than 21
Potential DUI penalties for the first offense include jail time for not less than 24 hours, up to one year. The jail time is followed by mandatory one-year probation. There’s also a minimum fine of $300, which can go to $1,000 when surcharges and court costs are added. Other penalties include community service, DUI classes, ignition interlock device installation, substance abuse counseling, and driver’s license suspension.
However, DUI carries other consequences that go far beyond what the state can impose. For example, your job can be in jeopardy after a DUI conviction. Individuals with Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDL) can lose their job even if that is their first DUI offense.
Penalties after Multiple DUI Convictions
Penalties for the second DUI are harsher and include spending at least 48 hours in jail, which is considered mandatory incarceration. The confinement can include anywhere from 90 days to a year in jail.
Minimum fines double to $600, although the maximum stays the same – $1,000. There’s also a driver’s license suspension of three years as well as a mandatory clinical evaluation. A substance abuse treatment program may be required at the offender’s expense.
If you are facing DUI charges for the third time, fines can go up to $5,000 if convicted, while the mandatory jail sentence increases to a minimum of 15 days. Although the offense is still considered a misdemeanor, it is a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature. After a third DUI within five years, you may also be declared a habitual violator, and your vehicle’s license plate can be seized. Habitual violators can face license revocation for 5 years.
Those convicted of a fourth DUI or subsequent DUI within 10 years will be charged with felony DUI under Georgia law.
Do I Need a DUI Lawyer?
Consequences of a Georgia DUI are considered among the toughest in the U.S. If you want to avoid the worst-case scenario and get the strictest penalties, consider hiring a Columbus, GA, DUI attorney. But you don’t need just any lawyer in Columbus – hire the one who will make sure your interests are accurately and aggressively represented throughout the case.
Your case can be significantly improved if you work with an experienced attorney, such as a DUI lawyer at the Office of ALJ.
What Does DUI Lawyer Do?
In addition to representing you in court and fighting for a positive outcome, our Columbus DUI attorney will ensure your rights are protected throughout the case.
Georgia DUI cases carry criminal as well as administrative penalties, which can include suspension of your driving privileges. In other words, you can have your driver’s license suspended even before having the opportunity to defend yourself in court. The administrative process is completely separate from your DUI court process.
Our DUI attorney can fight the automatic license suspension and request an administrative license hearing before the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) to challenge the suspension. Since you only have 30 days to do so, hiring a skilled Columbus GA DUI lawyer as soon as possible after a DUI charge is crucial.
Why Hire a Columbus GA DUI Attorney?
Although sometimes DUI can be classified as a felony, most are considered misdemeanor offenses. Whether someone will face felony charges depends on the circumstances of the crime and the number of prior DUI offenses.
After investigating all the evidence in your case, your Columbus DUI lawyer may find that the evidence was not collected properly. Filing motions to suppress this evidence can result in the prosecution dismissing your case or reducing your DUI charges.
Whether you are charged for the first, second, third, or fourth time, our Columbus, GA, DUI lawyers can help if your blood or breath test showed a BAC over the limit. There is always a potential DUI defense we can use to support your Columbus DUI case.
Our Columbus GA DUI Law Firm Can Help With Your DUI Defense
It’s hard navigating the Columbus, GA, criminal justice system alone because it can be scary and confusing. Nevertheless, before choosing between many DUI attorneys the one to represent you, ensure that you read client testimonials to learn as much as possible about a particular DUI crimes defense attorney you are considering.
If you are facing drug charges, it is essential to find criminal defense lawyers with experience defending drug offenses.
Contact The Law Office of ALJ, your local criminal defense and personal injury firm, for assistance with your legal needs.
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