Driving under the influence includes being under the influence of alcohol, prescribed medication, or other drugs. Many people are charged with DUI in the State of Georgia each year whether they have had even one drink or taken medication as prescribed by their physician.

Driving under the influence is also one of the most difficult charges to defend against in Georgia. The witnesses against someone charged with DUI are usually trained law enforcement agents. Groups such as MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) have made it a politically charged offense, so that judges are often cautious about reducing DUIs. Jurors are often anti-alcohol, whether driving is involved or not. Prosecutors rail against driving under the influence as if everyone who has a drink and then drives is not only guilty, but a bad person as well.

The truth is that most people charged with DUI have never been charged with any other criminal offense. They are our family or the people we see in church, school, and anywhere people socialize. They are people who met an old friend and had a drink, or went to dinner and had a couple of glasses of wine. Most people charged with DUI will go onto lead very productive lives.

There are many ways to defend against a DUI charge. Officers often make mistakes during the DUI stops because the procedure to investigate and arrest someone for driving under the influence is detailed if done correctly. Videos may show that the person arrested appears sober. The machinery used to test your blood or breath may be questionable. In some cases, officer training may be lacking in DUI detection.

I approach every DUI case with three main goals:

1) Find some way to get the case dismissed or reduced to a lesser offense. This includes advising my clients which cases I consider winnable if the prosecution is unwilling to negotiate reasonably.

2) Advise my client on what steps he or she should take to minimize any potential punishment by the court.

3) Safeguard my client’s driving rights.

Every DUI sentence carries some jail time, community service hours, fines, driving schools, and some loss of driving rights. Some sentences, especially for those with multiple convictions, can carry much heavier jail sentences, ignition interlock requirements, and total driver license suspensions among other punishments.

Do not go to court alone on a DUI. Remember, it is not a crime to drive a car after having an alcoholic drink in Georgia. It is not a crime to drive a car after simply taking prescribed medication in Georgia. If anyone tells you otherwise, they are wrong. Contact me, and let’s get started.