Georgia DUI Defense Guide

The Georgia DUI Defense Guide was created by Hall & Navarro to help residents who have been injured in an accident obtain maximum compensation for their claim.

Basic Info on DUI in Georgia

You are likely in search of information about DUIs in Georgia because you are feeling unsure and frightened. Coming to one of our Georgia DUI lawyers for information is very helpful. Go right to the source to find out how to handle a DUI case. This will help you better understand the consequences of the charge and the actions you can take on this case to protect your future. You can meet during a consultation to discuss what you should do next. Hiring a lawyer is very important when you are aiming to safeguard your future.

Even a first conviction carries hefty consequences, and since Georgia sees these charges as severe, you could end up with the max consequences of a $1,000 and a year in jail.

Every conviction involves the convicted having to serve 40 hours of community service. They will also have to go through Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction courses, sometimes called DUI School. There will also be a mandatory probation of 12 months. The list goes on, and we want to avoid having you deal with all of these consequences.

For minors charged with DUI whose BAC was lower than 0.08% or minors who refused to take the chemical test, the judge may decide that you should spend time in jail. A BAC of lower than 0.08% will result in 20 hours of community service.

If you are hoping to safeguard your future, please get in contact with one of our Georgia DUI lawyers right away.

Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make

There are certain things you can do after you are pulled over for a DUI. There are also some things that you absolutely should not do. Our Georgia DUI lawyers know that you are facing some serious consequences if you are convicted on charges of a DUI, such as jail, probation, huge fines, ignition interlock devices, and a suspended license. The following are some tips regarding what you should do if you are involved in a DUI:

• Don’t be uncooperative with the officer who pulls you over
• Take the chemical test if they have you at the station, as you can get into serious legal trouble for not doing that test
• Don’t make any confessions to the officer
• Talk as little as possible to the officer, but be polite
• Do your best not to look too much at the officer, as this can add to their observation of your alleged intoxication
• Don’t start the car and drive away if the officer approached you while the car was parked and off
• Keep the car in park the whole time you’re engaged with the officer. There are more consequences if they have hard proof of you operating the vehicle

Georgia sees drinking and driving as a very serious offense. The penalties that you face when charged with DUI can be life ruining; if you are convicted, it can have a very negative impact on your life.

The penalties here in Georgia can be extremely harsh because of how serious the offense of drunk driving is. Even if it your very first time getting into legal trouble, you could still be facing extreme consequences. These can include jail time and probation, as well as fines, license suspension, community services, and an ignition interlock device.

If you or someone you love has been charged with drinking and driving or driving under the influence, please give our Georgia DUI lawyers a call to get started on protecting your rights.

Benefits of Having Georgia DUI Lawyers Defend You

You theoretically could represent yourself for your DUI, but it is not wise or advised. You could make serious mistakes that could cost you your case. You wouldn’t do your own cavity filling, after all, so you shouldn’t represent yourself in a legal case. DUI cases can result in serious consequences if they aren’t represented properly. One of our Georgia DUI lawyers can effectively represent you.

At Hall & Navarro, the Georgia DUI lawyers have handled many cases just like yours and have given many people a second chance at a better future.

Losing your Job After a DUI in Georgia

A huge consideration for many clients who are charged with DUI is whether or not they can actually lose their job as a result of the charge. In Georgia, there is no automatic requirement that someone is terminated from their employment because they’re simply charged with driving under the influence. That is a case-by-case basis, and it is solely up to the employer as to whether or not you would be dismissed for that particular offense. Every case is unique. Every case is different. There may be things that we can do for you to get your DUI charge reduced or changed in a manner that will not affect your employment if your employer is one of those who would terminate based on that.

Losing your License After a DUI in Georgia

I was speaking with a client of mine recently who was charged with a DUI, and he was wondering if the license suspension was automatic. In Georgia, if you’re charged with DUI, there is an administrative suspension that can take place and a state court suspension that can take place. There are certain deadlines that you need to meet to appeal the administrative suspension. You can avoid the suspension of your license in certain circumstances, as long as the objections are filed timely. It’s very important that you get to an attorney immediately upon receiving a DUI charge in Georgia.

DUI with Children in the Car in Georgia

I was dealing with a client of mine who had a very serious situation in which they were charged with DUI and had children in the vehicle with them at the time that they were charged. If this occurs in Georgia, the driver who was charged with DUI can also be charged with cruelty to children; what’s more, they can be charged with cruelty to children for each child that they have in the vehicle, so it definitely ramps up the penalty and ramps up the case. Every one of these cases, whether there are children in the car or it’s just a single DUI, they are unique. I would love to talk with you about your specific circumstance, so please, if I can help you with that, don’t hesitate to call us.

Being Charged with Underage DUI in Georgia

I had a young client of mine call me the other day who is under the age of 21 and was recently charged with a DUI. In Georgia, if you are under 21 and charged with DUI, the suspension of your license is automatic. If you’re 21 or over, you have an opportunity to get a work permit or a school permit to drive, but if you are under 21, you will not have that opportunity, and you will have a hard suspension of your license.

Every case, however, is different. Every DUI case is unique. If you are under 21 and charged with a DUI, I’d love to speak with you about your matter to see if we can help you. Please do not hesitate to call us.

DUI with Prior Convictions in Georgia

I was talking with a long-time client of mine who recently was charged with his third DUI. That is a very serious situation. In Georgia, when you have multiple DUIs, the number one concern is that jail time becomes an issue. In addition, Georgia requires, in certain situations, that you have an ignition interlock device, which is a device that will not let you start your car until you actually blow into a mechanism that turns the engine on. The interlock device and jail time are very big concerns if you have multiple DUIs, if you’re charged with multiple DUIs over the course of time in Georgia, but every case is unique and every case is different. I’d love to talk with you about your specific facts and your specific situation, so please call us.

First-Time DUI in Georgia

I was speaking with a very young client of mine who was recently charged with DUI, and he was asking me about what the penalties were for a first-time DUI offense in Georgia. The penalties are 12 months either probated or in jail, up to a thousand dollar fine. You will be required to work 40 hours of community service. In addition, you will need to take a DUI class – it’s called DUI School – which is serviced by different organizations in our community. Normally, the 12 months is probated on a first-time DUI, and probation basically means that you report to an office on a monthly basis. You will also be required to pay a monthly probation fee during the time that you are being supervised by an officer.

Taking a Breathalyzer Test in Georgia

In Georgia, if you are charged with DUI, an officer will ask you whether or not you want to submit to different testing – blood, breath or urine testing. It is advisable to comply with the officer’s request. If you do not comply, then your license can be administratively suspended. What you can do, in addition to compliance with the officer’s request, is to get independent testing. You’re allowed to do that, and I would advise you to get a blood test independent of whatever testing the officer did. Again, these are very technical issues. If you’re charged with DUI, I’d love to talk with you about your individual case, and I’m here to help you. Thank you.

Refusing the Field Sobriety Test in Georgia

I was speaking with a client the other day who came to see me because he was charged with a DUI. During the course of the stop, he actually refused to execute the field sobriety testing that the officer asked him to do. If you refuse field sobriety and if you refuse the testing – blood, breath, or urine – that’s called a refusal, and your license can be administratively suspended. You will get separate paperwork that indicates the administrative suspension. The timelines are very tight on those particular suspensions, so it’s very important that you see an attorney within 10 days after getting the DUI charge.

Refusing to do field sobriety can very well impact your license. DUI cases are very unique. If you are in a situation where you’re charged, I’d love to talk with you about it. I’m here to help you. Please don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Going to Jail for a DUI in Georgia

A real concern for my DUI clients or clients of mine who are charged with a DUI is whether or not there could be any jail time involved in the resolution of their case. In Georgia, you can be punished by up to one year in jail, with a thousand dollar fine, plus community service and some other particular aspects of the sentence that are required. If it is a first-time DUI, as a general rule, if there’s no accident or no injury involved in the DUI, you will not serve time in jail. If, however, you’re in a situation where you have multiple charges, there may be a stronger consideration for going to jail.

Duration of a DUI on your Record in Georgia

The criminal history of an individual is very important. It can affect employment and those sorts of things. We get calls often asking how long a DUI will stay on your criminal record. In fact, it will stay on your criminal record indefinitely. There used to be some talk about a seven-year term – that’s not true. I have reviewed criminal histories in my practice that go back to the 1970s, and those DUIs are still on the record. We can help you in your particular case. There may be some things that we can do about restricting and sealing your record, but every case is different. I’m happy to help you. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you’re in that situation.

Timeline for a DUI Case in Georgia

A friend of mine called the other day. His daughter got a DUI ticket, and he was wondering how long it would take, because this particular child was looking to go to school and leave the area. There really is no typical time for a DUI. Every case is different. If it is one that doesn’t require motions to suppress or other complicated litigation, you should be able to have your DUI resolved anywhere from three to six months. Again, every case is different. I would love to talk with you about your specific matter. Please call me if you’re in need of assistance.

Defending Yourself in a DUI Case in Georgia

I was recently talking with a client who had some pretty significant financial problems, and he asked me if he could defend himself in a DUI case. I certainly would not recommend that. DUI law is very technical and, believe it or not, it changes sometimes every six months, depending on what the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeals is doing in that area of law. It would not be advisable to represent yourself in a DUI, and I would love to speak with you about this. If you have any questions about your particular case, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Cost of a DUI Attorney in Georgia

We often get questions about how much it costs to hire a defense attorney in a DUI case. The cost can vary depending on the exact situation, but, in general, a DUI will cost anywhere between $2,500 and $3,000. Every case is different, so I would love to talk with you about your specific matter and give you specific information about what it will cost.

Choosing a DUI Attorney in Georgia

I had a friend of mine touch base with me last week about finding the right attorney in Georgia to handle his DUI case. The main things that you need consider is you definitely want someone with lots of experience. It is ideal to have someone who has prosecutorial experience in the past and then became a DUI defense attorney. That way, you can be sure that they know both sides of the coin and will be able to protect you because they have that very unique experience. In fact, I have that unique experience and would love to talk with you about it, so, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d love to help you.

Getting Pulled Over for a DUI in Georgia

I was talking with a client the other day who called me about getting pulled over and getting charged with a DUI. In Georgia, when you are charged with a DUI and you’re pulled over by law enforcement, they will do field sobriety testing. They will ask to see your license. They will also make requests of you about whether or not you want independent testing of your blood, breath or urine. The main issue that you need to be familiar with is the fact that you need to be compliant, that you do need to be respectful to the law enforcement officers – that will go a long way in resolving your case. I would always ask for independent testing, and I would make the request to have a blood test done as your choice of independent test.

Call Our Georgia DUI Lawyers Today

When you get into a DUI, it is natural to feel scared and uncertain. The Georgia DUI lawyers at Hall & Navarro have seen people in these stressful situations and have offered them some clarity and hope. Please call our office today to get the results you hope to get. Call today and set up a consultation.

We can help get your life back on track.

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