Covington DUI Lawyer - Covington DUI Attorney

If you have been charged with a DUI in Covington or anywhere else in Newton County, you need an experienced DUI lawyer. Whether this is your first, second, or third DUI, our Covington DUI Attorneys can help with your case. Our office has over 50 combined years of criminal defense experience. If you are facing DUI charges, our goal is to fight the charges, reduce the penalties, and minimize the impact your case would have on your future. Richard Lawson is a former prosecutor which gives us an edge in navigating the criminal court system and has set our firm apart as DUI attorneys.

30-Day Warning

Within 30 days of your arrest, you must file a letter requesting an administrative license suspension (ALS) hearing to save your license. If this is your first DUI, you have the option to request the hearing or to install an ignition interlock device on your vehicle. If you fail to timely request the hearing, then your license will automatically be suspended. If you refused the state-administered testing, the license suspension would last for 12 months. Your Covington DUI Attorney can help you make the decision whether to file the letter or install the device. If you choose to request an ALS hearing, we will file the letter to help save your privilege to drive in Georgia.

When Charged with a DUI in Covington, You Have Two Cases to Resolve

When a person is charged with a DUI in Georgia, they actually have two cases against them: one is the criminal case that most people are familiar with and the other is a license suspension case with the Department of Driver's Services (DDS). To resolve the license suspension, you or your Covington DUI Lawyer must file the 30-day letter to request an ALS hearing. Your attorney will go in your place for the hearing. At the hearing, the officer that issued your citation will be there. The goal of the hearing is to reach an agreement with the arresting officer where they drop the license suspension. This can be done in multiple ways. The first way is to convince the officer to drop the license suspension flat out. Second, the officer may agree to drop the suspension in exchange for a plea to reckless driving. Third, if an agreement is unable to be reached, then we take your case before the judge and present evidence demonstrating that the suspension should be dropped. If the arresting officer does not show up to the hearing, then your driving privileges will not be suspended. A successful ALS hearing will result in your driver's license suspension being lifted. After this hearing, the license portion of your case is resolved, and we can work to resolve your criminal case.

If your criminal date ends up being before your ALS hearing, we usually call the court and ask to be continued until we know the results of your ALS hearing. If a police officer has agreed to reduce the charge to reckless driving, then prosecutors are more likely to take it into consideration. You will have required court appearances during the criminal case. We will walk you through every step of the process and make sure you understand all of your options. Our Covington DUI Lawyers have been very successful in reaching agreements with the prosecutor outside of court.  However, we are just as comfortable taking your case to trial if that is what will give us the best outcome.

Our Experience is Unmatched

The lawyers at Lawson and Berry have dedicated themselves to the study and defense of DUI. Many members of our team have worked on the State's side and know the arguments prosecutors will use in your case. We have the advantage, and we know how to make the law work for you, instead of against you. Whether this is your first criminal offense or a felony DUI charge, we are prepared to handle your situation. With thousands of DUI hearings under our belt, we will fight to keep your license and reduce or dismiss the criminal charges. We also provide experienced legal defense for drug-related offenses such as possession of marijuana, open container, and child endangerment. Our firm is committed to defending your rights, protecting your reputation, and guarding you against long term consequences.

Georgia DUI Laws are highly technical and complex. To be successful, you need a Covington DUI attorney that works with these laws every day and is familiar with case law. While you may know a lawyer or have a family friend who is a general practitioner, we urge you to do your research and only trust your case with an experienced DUI lawyer. You deserve the best representation when your future is at stake!

Covington Municipal Court

The Covington Municipal Court handles minor traffic infractions, some misdemeanor cases, parking citations, and city ordinance violations issued within the city limits of Covington. The Municipal Court Judge is M. Quader A. Baig. Court is held in the Covington Police Department located at 1143 Oak Street, Covington, GA 30014. For questions about your case, you can call the court at 770-385-2141.

Contact Us

Our Covington DUI Lawyers are here for you! We have over 50 combined years of DUI experience and are equipped to handle your case. Our office is over 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer your call. We pride ourselves on being available to you days, nights, weekends, and even holidays. Contact us now for a free case evaluation.