After an evening of drinking at a party or restaurant, you decide to drive home. All of a sudden, flashing blue lights appear in your rearview mirror and an officer pulls you over, demanding for your driver’s license, registration and insurance information before asking you for field sobriety evaluations and breath/blood testing as part of their DUI investigations in Atlanta. Should they suspect you of being under the influence, serious penalties await such individuals for DUI charges against them.
If you are arrested in Georgia for DUI, you’ll face criminal charges and lose your driving privileges. Depending on previous convictions, blood alcohol content (BAC), injuries caused and fatalities caused due to irresponsible driving, you could serve anywhere between one day to five years in jail and fines between $300-$5,000; additionally your insurance rates may increase as well as being ordered to attend DUI classes, community service projects or drug abuse risk reduction programs.
An arrest for DUI may result in a separate process from criminal proceedings: administrative license suspension by the Department of Driver Services if you exceed legal limits or refuse state administered testing. This action typically happens within 10 days from when your DUI officer issued you with a DDS-1205 document, and typically triggers its implementation through this DDS-1205 document issued from within your arresting officer’s department.
To prevent losing your license, it’s crucial that you request an ALS hearing and install an ignition interlock device by the deadline. An experienced Atlanta DUI lawyer can guide this process. Furthermore, it’s imperative to document all surrounding events both before and during any encounter with law enforcement officers, or inside patrol cars during pursuit or pullover; such documentation will prove invaluable when filing pre-trial motions to suppress evidence or jury trials take place.
Before your arraignment, it is also advisable to hire an experienced attorney in order to make certain the required motions and demands are submitted timely. Your lawyer could even help negotiate reduced charges such as reckless driving instead of DUI with the prosecutor.
James Yeargan Law Firm attorneys offer experienced guidance and representation for individuals facing DUI charges in Atlanta, GA.
Reach out to us right now to arrange your consultation and get on your path to a successful resolution of your DUI charge or license suspension case. Our firm understands its complexity and stands ready to create a strong defense strategy tailored specifically to you – call now to begin building it! *It should be noted that once a criminal case has concluded, an individual’s record can be cleared of the DUI charge itself; however, an administrative license suspension remains on record until addressed properly.
