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DUI / DWI Defense
Aggressive representation against DUI charges with focus on testing procedures, evidence challenges, and license protection.
Aggressive representation against DUI charges with focus on testing procedures, evidence challenges, and license protection.
Most jail and prison sentences are reserved for extreme cases, or for people with multiple prior offenses. Jail on a first or second offense is rare. But there are things you can do after being charged that will meaningfully increase or decrease that risk — which is why what happens in the next few weeks matters.
Your BAC level, driving record, and the circumstances of the stop all affect potential penalties. However, many DUI cases are won on procedural grounds — improper traffic stops, faulty equipment, or violation of your rights during testing. Breathalyzer accuracy, field sobriety tests, and police procedures are all challengeable with proper legal strategy.
The first decisions you make after a DUI arrest significantly impact your case. Administrative license suspension, bail conditions, and evidence preservation all happen quickly. An experienced DUI attorney can protect your rights from day one. Hiring early also changes several things at once: it signals to the court that you're taking the charge seriously, and an experienced attorney knows the judges and prosecutors and can work with them on your behalf.
We challenge every element of the prosecution's case: the initial stop, field sobriety test administration, breathalyzer calibration and maintenance records, and the legality of any searches. We fight for the best possible outcome — dismissal, reduced charges, or acquittal.
A first offense is a Class A misdemeanor. It becomes a felony where there are prior offenses, or other triggers such as no driver's license or no insurance.
The statutory summary suspension is separate from the criminal charge, and the outcomes are often not related. Challenging it requires its own filing.
For a first offense, refusing carries a twelve-month suspension rather than six, and removes eligibility for the permit that would otherwise let you drive during it. Whether the officer's request was reasonable in your particular case is a separate question, and one worth reviewing with an attorney.
The suspension begins 46 days after arrest, and the petition must be filed within 90 days. Not filing quickly can bar you from challenging it altogether.
A first offender who failed the test may be eligible for a Monitoring Device Driving Permit, which allows driving with an interlock device installed. Those who refused testing are not eligible.