Lamar County DUI Lawyer

Lamar County GA DUI Lawyer - Lamar County GA DUI Attorney

Barnesville DUI Lawyer - Barnesville DUI Attorney

For more than 25 years, Richard Lawson and his team of Lamar County GA DUI Lawyers have served people charged with DUI and DUI-related offenses. They regularly handle such charges as speeding, failure to maintain lane, weaving over the roadway, car accidents, and possession of marijuana. As a former Georgia DUI Prosecutor, Richard Lawson understands Georgia DUI Law from both sides and puts that experience to work for his clients every day.

We are the top-rated and most reviewed DUI Defense firm in Georgia. Our reviews can be found on Avvo.

30-Day Warning!!

When a person is charged with DUI, they only have thirty days to have their Lamar County DUI Attorney request a hearing with the Department of Driver Services. If this hearing is not requested, their driver's license, or privilege to drive in Georgia will be suspended for as much as 12 months. Alternatively, you have the option of getting an ignition interlock device installed on your vehicle. Our Georgia DUI Attorneys are here to discuss which option is best for your particular case. There is a $150 filing fee associated with the hearing request, and it is advisable to have your Lamar County DUI Lawyer send the request via certified mail, with a return receipt. Our Barnesville DUI Lawyers will handle the request for you, to make sure you do not lose your license.

If I Was Arrested For DUI in Lamar County Georgia Does That Mean I am Guilty?

The short answer is "no." The explanation, however, takes more time to discuss. First of all, every person in the United States is presumed innocent of a crime until the government proves them guilty beyond all reasonable doubt. The evidence must be both compelling and legally admissible in court. As a result, hiring a Barnesville GA DUI Attorney is the best way to ensure that all of your defenses are properly investigated and presented in court.

Every day we see people who are charged with crimes for which they are innocent. A recent example was the Duke University Lacrosse players who were accused of sexually assaulting a woman. They were innocent because the crime did not occur.

Many people charged with DUI are, in fact, innocent. The State relies on breath-testing equipment that has been shown to be unreliable and field sobriety testing that most people could not successfully do, even stone cold sober. Also, these field sobriety tests are essentially a judgment call by the police officer. Even an honest police officer is subject to human error and misinterpretation of the results.

In refusal cases, many people are also innocent and have essentially caused their arrest by the refusal itself. Our Lamar County GA DUI Attorneys often hear from clients that they refused the test because they were always told to refuse to test. That often means that a person who may be innocent chooses not to test.

I also often hear that after a person feels they have completely cooperated with the police they choose to refuse the breath test because they were being arrested in spite of that cooperation. The refusal then becomes a function of frustration, not as a result of a person feeling they will fail the test. It is important to hire a Lamar County DUI Lawyer to fight the refusal and explain to the court the circumstances involved in the decision to refuse to test.

Legal Defenses to DUI in Lamar County Georgia

In our system of law, even people who are guilty of a DUI may still avoid prosecution. The reason is that the police have to follow procedures outlined in our constitution, along with laws passed by the legislature. The rules of evidence require that anything used against a person in their criminal prosecution must be legally obtained.

If the police do not follow these procedures, then the evidence gathered becomes inadmissible in court. Your DUI Attorney in Lamar County GA will file a motion to suppress such illegally obtained evidence.

The Lamar County Georgia Court System Explained

Lamar County GA Probate Court

The reason people hire a DUI Lawyer in Lamar County GA is the familiarity with the court system. When a person is arrested in the unincorporated areas of the county, their DUI case will have its initial arraignment in the Lamar County Probate Court. The reason there isn't a separate traffic court in Lamar County is because the population of the county does not justify having both a probate court and traffic court judge. As a result, the one judge plays both roles.

The Probate Court Judge is the Honorable Kathy Martin. Court is held at 326 Thomaston Street, Barnesville Georgia 30204. Their office hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Their telephone number is (770) 358-5155.

Map to Lamar County Probate Court

Municipal Courts In Lamar County GA

When a person is arrested for a DUI in a city's limits, their DUI case will have its initial arraignment within that city's municipal court. As for Lamar County, that means either the Barnesville Municipal Court or the Milner Municipal Court.

In Municipal (city) Court, your Lamar County DUI Attorney can negotiate a plea agreement, seek a dismissal, or have a bench trial (trial by the judge only). There are no jury trials in city court.

When a person wants a jury trial, their case will be sent to the Lamar County Superior Court. In Superior Court, the prosecutor is the District Attorney, and the proceedings are much more formal. No person should ever attend any hearing in Superior Court without being represented by a qualified Lamar County GA DUI Lawyer.

Barnesville Municipal Court

Barnesville Municipal Court is located at 100 Mill Street, Barnesville GA 30204. Judge Rob Morton is the presiding judge, and Mark Irvin is the prosecutor. For any questions about paying a ticket or general court procedures, call the Clerk of Court, Kathy Munday at 770-358-1234. All cases originating within the city limits of Barnesville will have their initial arraignment in municipal court. Hire one of our Barnesville GA DUI Lawyers today!

Map to Barnesville Municipal Court

City of Milner

The city offices are located at 100 Greenwood Street, Milner GA, 30257. If you have been charged with a traffic violation, misdemeanor (including DUI) within the city limits of Milner, your case will proceed to Lamar County Probate Court.

Lamar County Georgia Superior Court

Superior Court is held at 326 Thomaston Street, Barnesville GA 30204. The Clerk of Court is the Honorable Caleb Tyson, and may be reached at (770) 358-5145.

The Superior Court Judges are:

Judge Thomas H Wilson;
William A. Fears

District Attorney Richard Milam handles the prosecution of all misdemeanor and felony cases in the Lamar County Superior Court. He makes the final decision as to who is charged with a crime in Lamar County and what plea agreement (if any) is offered.

Map to Lamar County GA Superior Court

Dedicated To Protecting Your Rights 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week

There are many choices a person has when choosing a DUI Lawyer in Lamar County GA.

There are things sets our firm apart from the rest:

We only handle DUI cases and their related offenses. This focus allows our DUI Attorneys in Lamar County keep up on all the latest defenses, as well as police tactics.
We provide personalized attention. You will have your attorney's cell phone number and personal email. Your questions will not be funneled through a secretary or assistant.
We understand what your DUI case means to you and your future. We do not handle more serious cases. Your DUI case is the most serious offense we handle, so we can focus on you at all times. This laser focus is what sets us apart from any other DUI Defense firm in Georgia.

Contact us 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We are available on weekends and holidays as well. We are here when you need us most!

Recommendations

DUI WITH HIGH BAC (.112) LOWERED TO RECKLESS DRIVING!

Richard was not the first lawyer I spoke with after my DUI charge, but he was the last when searching for representation. This was my very first time encountering any sort of legal dispute so I had no idea what I was doing and I was very scared. Richard was very friendly, down to earth and consol... Read On
Miracle Worker!

Not only did Richard Lawson and his very capable associate get my DUI reduced to reckless driving with parole, but he did something that I didn't think was possible. I was stopped for a moving violation recently. The police arrested me because they showed my driver's license had been suspended. H... Read On
Ideal attorney for anyone

Mr. Lawson is outstanding. He was professional, attentive to any requests, and got the outcome I wanted but thought was unachievable. I had been arrested for a DUI. The case was very difficult, intricate, and was seemingly without hope, but Mr. Lawson was able to get the charges drastically reduc... Read On

Recent Case Results

This case was in Helen Municipal Court. The client was charged with a DUI and four counts of DUI Child Endangerment. In Georgia, for every child under the age of 14 in a vehicle it is considered a separate DUI offense. The client would have been declared an habitual violator from one arrest an... Read On
Client was charged with a suspended license because he did not reinstate his privilege to drive after the expiration of his restricted license. Per my advice, the client properly reinstated his license the day after he was charged. Case Dismissed in Cobb County State Court. Read On
Client was a resident of New York who was arrested while he was visiting Georgia for pleasure. He was charged with DUI, Reckless Driving, and Speeding 37 MPH over the speed limit. We were able to get the client an unbelievable outcome in Hampton, Georgia. His DUI dismissed, his speeding ticket wa... Read On