Scheduling your initial court appearance (known as an “arraignment”) can take months. Due to COVID-19 pandemic backlogs in state courts, new attorneys entering cases require time to familiarize themselves with case details and police reports before entering cases with new clients. Witnesses might relocate or become unavailable; test results might change or vanish over time.

2. Asking a Friend

If a Johns Creek police officer suspects you of DUI, they may request you to perform field sobriety tests. These exercises allow officers to measure how you perform against predefined criteria and look for clues as proof that may point towards DUI; these assessments are non-standardized so you have no legal obligation to participate.

Johns Creek DUI cases are prosecuted by private firms rather than Fulton County’s District Attorney’s Office, who tend to take an aggressive stance towards DUI offenders and are unlikely to reduce or drop charges altogether. Therefore, having a Johns Creek DUI lawyer familiar with their methods and the court system will help ensure you obtain optimal results.

As well, it is crucial to remember that if a police officer detects alcohol on you or observes that your speech has become slurred, this could be evidence of DUI. Officers also increasingly arrest drivers on suspicion of drug DUI; even prescription medications can impair driving and lead to charges for DUI.

After being arrested, the Department of Driver Services may seek to suspend your license if you test above or fail to take an in-person breath, blood, or urine test when requested. You usually have thirty days after filing an appeal in order to protect your license; Johns Creek DUI lawyers can help make sure this occurs in a timely fashion.

3. Asking the Prosecutor

Johns Creek is an affluent city located northwest of Atlanta in Fulton County, and it operates its own municipal court system where misdemeanor DUI cases typically begin. Misdemeanor cases usually start before Judge Donald Schaefer; occasionally Associate Judge Wanda Dallas or Jenny Nguyen handle them; Lawrence Delan serves as solicitor or prosecutor in these matters.

Similar to traffic offenses, DUIs must be litigated through court appearance. Our Johns Creek DUI lawyers often negotiate non-DUI dispositions with the prosecutor; however, should your Johns Creek DUI require jury trial, then it will be “bound over” to Fulton County State Court at Fulton County Justice Center where currently there are 10 state court judges handling criminal cases in Fulton County.

As part of your criminal proceedings, there may be an administrative license suspension proceeding before the Georgia Department of Driver Services. For this proceeding, you have thirty days to submit an appeal with them for preservation of driving privileges; please include $150 as filing fees with any appeal you submit.

Many are surprised to learn that even without alcohol in their system at the time of arrest, they could still face charges of DUI-drugs due to prescription drugs being present in their bodies. Therefore it is imperative that if arrested for DUI-drugs they contact one of our Gwinnett DUI lawyers as soon as possible for advice.

4. Asking the Judge

Johns Creek DUI attorneys and officers abide by Georgia DUI laws, yet interpretation varies greatly by city and court. Each city interprets its DUI regulations differently while each court handles cases differently.

Johns Creek police officers receive special training in recognizing alcohol and drugs, such as ARIDE (Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement) and DRE (Drug Recognition Expert). Additionally, they use standard field sobriety tests.

Johns Creek police officers who pull you over for DUI will ask questions about your drinking habits, where you have been, slurred speech and smell the odor of alcohol on your breath as indicators that someone has been drinking. Furthermore, they may search your car for bottles of beer, wine, vodka or gin; additionally they will examine your eyes to see if they appear red or bloodshot.

Johns Creek Police Department boasts a DUI Task Force which engages in state and national driving safety initiatives such as Operation Zero Tolerance and Click It or Ticket. Many officers have received at least 16 hours of training at their respective police academies regarding DUI violations; most often this training includes certification to operate Georgia’s breath testing machine Intoxilyzer 9000 as well as conducting sobriety checkpoints or roadblocks.