By: DUI Lawyer Cory Yager, Ex-Cop turned DUI Attorney Near Me in Metro Atlanta GA
Should I get a Lawyer for First DUI in GA? Yes, and unless you are indigent and must rely on a public defender for DUI, hire a DUI specialist attorney. Every DUI in Georgia is serious business, and the public defenders (PD) in Georgia are often overloaded with too much work, particularly in the metropolitan Atlanta area courts.
Before settling on DUI-DWI lawyers near me, do not let the litigation costs of a DUI push you in the direction of cheap DUI lawyers. When you truly need a DUI specialist who ranks among the very top DUI defense lawyers in the State, pinching pennies almost always backfires.
This admonition is made because the Peach State is among the toughest in the nation when it comes to long-term DUI punishment. A conviction for drunk driving or drugged driving is FOREVER.
Is it worth getting a lawyer for a DUI? Yes, the cost of a DUI-DWI defense attorney is a tiny pittance, compared to the lifetime cost of a DUI, if you are convicted. The DUI lawyer retainer fee for the best DUI lawyer near me will be a true bargain if you dodge a DUI conviction, and the lifetime of negative impacts it may cause in your life.
If I am broke, can you beat a DUI with a Public Defender? That answer is unknown, since (like with private legal counsel) not all attorneys are equally motivated and not equally trained in all aspects of “police science.”
Plus, our three DUI-DWI attorneys have collectively spent over $100,000 obtaining advanced scientific training on how to beat a DUI. This includes becoming NHTSA field sobriety instructors, to allow each of us to identify field sobriety test errors by police. Plus, we have been trained on how to neutralize the breath alcohol test in Georgia and knowing how to identify and impeach GBI laboratory tests for drugs.
Limitations placed upon a Public Defender vs Private Attorney DUI Defense Lawyer
- A PD cannot represent you in the administrative part of your DUI arrest. This is the civil driver’s license suspension (or revocation) that MUST be dealt with in the 1st 30 days after arrest. They cannot pay your $150 filing fee or fill out your paperwork or go to court before the administrative law judge to represent you.
2. In Georgia, since the government is paying the bill, most trial judges will not readily approve hiring experts for your DUI case. At trial if a jury only hears from State “experts,” this puts your side at a huge disadvantage, in most cases. If your PD can only cross-examine the GBI and police witnesses, your full story may not be told.
3. Much like going to a car dealership to buy a car, whichever lawyer you are assigned is your legal advocate. On almost all PDs, you will be hard-pressed to find any lawyers ratings. Our lawyers for DUI have never seen any state-paid attorneys for DUI be named by Super Lawyers on their listings. Some appointed lawyers do not hesitate to go to trial, but others will do anything possible to not be required to take a case to trial.
The Value of Beating a Driving Under the Influence case in Atlanta Georgia
Some readers think about the obvious, immediate impact on insurance rates. Some will try to calculate the higher car insurance premiums versus the DUI lawyer cost, and then “cap” their attorney fees cost at that number. Whatever DWI-DUI lawyers charge you to fight and not “plead out” the case is worth your investment, if that DUI criminal defense attorney obtains a reduction of charges, dismissal (nolle prosequi) or an acquittal.
While 80% of all DUI arrests in Georgia are for a 1st offense, those facing a potential DUI second offense or a 3rd DUI in GA need immediate information about their potential jail time and total loss of ability to legally operate a motor vehicle. This transportation cost can quickly exceed $25,000 or more in less than a year when a person lives in Gwinnett County and works in Cobb County or Clarke County.
The helpful chart set forth below, created by Georgia’s best DUI attorney, William Head, covers all misdemeanor and felony offenses of Georgia’s impaired driving laws. This easy-to-understand punishment chart supplies a quick overview for analyzing your statutory penalties and loss of driving privileges for DUI charges, if convicted.
More notes and details follow this chart on Georgia DUI laws. By starting with the DUI chart, you can quickly gauge what repercussions and consequences a repeat DUI offense can cause, if convicted. Because our DUI attorneys near me offer 100% of accused citizens facing a DUI in Georgia a free lawyer consultation, ask about our flat fee retainer, which covers all aspects of about 65% of our cases.
Going to court for a DUI without lawyer assistance. Every DUI conviction, whether a first lifetime DUI, 2nd DUI in GA or any other repeat offender, has mandatory minimum punishments that are required to be imposed, if convicted.
The statute OCGA 40-6-391, and related other code sections restrict any use of the Georgia first offense act. No first-time offender diversion or conditional discharge is available, either. Violation of DUI laws in GA will trigger mandatory criminal penalties, license suspension, and wreak havoc in that person’s life.
This quick DUI penalty guide highlights the fines and surcharges for various convictions. The fine amounts, in Georgia, range from $300 to $10,000 before hefty surcharges are tacked on.
DUI school in Georgia (called the risk reduction program) follows every conviction for DUI in GA. The same goes for drivers’ license suspension or revocation. First offense DUI and 2nd DUI in GA get suspended. A third DUI or fourth DUI within 5 years causes license revocation for 5 years.
On all repeat offenses, expect to be screened for addiction issues by a licensed professional counselor for alcohol or drug dependency. If problems with substance abuse are indicated, expect treatment sessions or multi-week substance abuse counseling. Mandatory probation is mandated for any part of your sentence that is not served behind bars. Plus, on and 2nd DUI or more, you will be serving between 240 hours and 480 hours of community service.
William Head, with 45 years of criminal law practice, is one of the nation’s Board-Certified DUI attorneys. The Georgia native leads our 3-attorney team of an award-winning law firm near me. Plus, our legal services attorneys cover the entire state of Georgia, if retained to defend clients.
Our Atlanta attorneys offer a FREE consultation IN PERSON, or via cell phone or computer virtual meeting technology. Call today for that opportunity to have your complete case assessment done at NO COST. 404-567-5515. With a FREE lawyer consultation with award-winning attorneys, how can you go wrong?
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The information you obtain at this web site about legal services, related videos, image resources, Facebook, Twitter or other social media content, or blog postings is not, nor is it intended to be or provide, legal advice from a Georgia lawyer. This page is designed to help you find legal information, learn the basics about any criminal offense or court case in the state of Georgia, and then search for criminal attorneys near me for your representation in GA.
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