Lawrenceville DUI Lawyer

Lawrenceville DUI Lawyer – Lawrenceville DUI Attorney

The Law Office of Richard Lawson is a law firm that specializes in DUI Law. DUI and DUI-related cases are all we do. Richard Lawson is a former Gwinnett County DUI prosecutor in Lawrenceville with over 25 years' experience in Georgia DUI Law. He is the top-rated DUI attorney in the state, as rated by Avvo. Please see his reviews and contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Thirty-Day Warning!

If you were arrested for DUI in Lawrenceville, Georgia, or anywhere in Gwinnett County, you only have thirty days to save your driving privilege. You (or your Lawrenceville DUI Lawyer) must file an Administrative License Suspension (ALS) Hearing request or an ignition interlock device request within thirty days for $150. If the hearing is not requested within the thirty-day timeframe, your license will be suspended automatically. If you have been accused of refusing the State's chemical test of your breath, blood, or urine, your license will be suspended for one year, with no opportunity for a permit. Contact an experienced Lawrenceville DUI Attorney as soon as possible after your Lawrenceville DUI arrest.

How To Save Your Driver's License

First, you should hire an experienced Lawrenceville DUI Attorney. There are many things to consider when choosing the best Lawrenceville DUI Lawyer.
Request an ALS hearing.
Have your blood sample retested (if you took a blood test, of course).
Make sure your DUI Attorney in Lawrenceville investigates the legitimacy of your traffic stop. Law enforcement must have reasonable, articulable suspicion that you committed a crime or traffic violation.
Your qualified Lawrenceville DUI Lawyer should investigate what led to the request for a breath, blood, or urine test and your subsequent arrest. Law enforcement must have a reasonable belief that you were driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
What was the timeline of events? Police officers have to perform testing within particular guidelines.
Is the sample of blood or urine yours? Your attorney should check the labeling to make the sample is yours.

Know Your Rights

You have the right to be represented by an attorney throughout your Lawrenceville DUI case.
If you are unable to afford a Lawrenceville DUI Attorney, you may request one to be appointed for you without cost to you.
You have the presumption of innocence regarding the pending charges against you, and you will keep that presumption until you are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
You have the right to confront any witnesses who are called to testify against you in a court of law. You also have the right to cross-examine those same witnesses.
You have the right to defend yourself by presenting evidence in your defense and subpoena witnesses.
You have the right to testify in your own defense or remain silent. If your choice is to stay silent, that decision cannot be used against you.
At the end of your trial, you have a right to appeal the ruling of the Court to a higher court.

Mistakes Police Make

Police officers are not perfect; they are human and make mistakes just like the rest of us. Here are some standard errors and how they can help your defense:

Pulling over a motorist on the basis of an anonymous tip. Law enforcement cannot depend on a phone call as grounds to pull you over if they do not know who is calling. There must be reasonable articulable suspicion before your freedom interest is violated. Otherwise, the stop is considered an illegal seizure.
Arresting a driver for their statements alone. Law enforcement must have other independent evidence to corroborate the driver's statements. This issue often presents itself when the officer has not witnessed the driver in physical control of a motor vehicle.
Delaying a motorist for a longer period of time than is reasonable for a DUI investigation. The Constitution does not allow for law enforcement to hold someone an indefinite amount of time. That too is an illegal seizure.
Pulling over a vehicle without reasonable articulable suspicion. Police cannot stop you just because they believe a person looks suspicious. They must be able to articulate facts that led them to believe you were driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Pulling over a vehicle based on a misunderstood violation of a law. Police must be sure and correct about how they interpret the law.
Failing to follow the rules and directions of the breath testing machine. Failing to do so could invalidate any test results.
Stopping motorists at an improper roadblock. Roadblocks have guidelines that must be followed to validate the stop. Otherwise, it is unconstitutional.
Stopping a vehicle to merely check a driver's license and registration. There must have been a traffic violation or other viable reason to suspect a crime has been committed. If not, it is illegal.
Lacking probable cause: law enforcement must have a reasonable belief that you were driving while under the influence of alcohol before they can ask a driver to submit to a chemical test of breath, blood, or urine.

Mistakes Attorneys Make

Assuming a clients' case cannot be won. Many times after getting test results and a copy of the police report, some attorneys throw in the towel and advise their client to plead guilty. All of the tests that law enforcement employs to detect DUI are flawed. Those flaws can mean the difference between innocence and guilt.
Not sending an Administrative License Suspension (ALS) hearing request. Are ALS hearings difficult to win? Yes. However, winning is not impossible. Our Lawrenceville DUI Attorneys have often won ALS hearings based on technical defenses.
Trusting that breath-testing procedures were followed. Sometimes officers do not know how to use the breath testing machine correctly or are not certified in its use.
Choosing not to file a motion to suppress evidence. This is a common mistake that experts believe is critical to DUI defense.
Failing to check out the location where the client was arrested. Were field sobriety tests performed on uneven ground? Was there a lot of traffic in the area during the hour the client was arrested? Not going to the arrest location and taking pictures is a missed opportunity to win the case. A seasoned Lawrenceville DUI Lawyer knows this and usually goes to check out the arrest location before they meet their client for the first time.
Advising a client to plead guilty without thoroughly explaining the ramifications of doing so. If your attorney does not fully advise you on what will happen if you plead guilty, that is considered malpractice. Pleading guilty can include a driver's license suspension, time in jail, increased insurance premiums, loss of employment, and more. Those penalties must be taken into consideration before pleading guilty. The more you know, the better you can make the right decision for your particular situation.
Not consulting with a specialist. You would not want a tax attorney to defend your divorce case, would you? DUI law is complicated and involved, and a general anything cannot be all things to all people. DUI cases involve investigation, preparation, and a thorough knowledge of the law. DUI is a misdemeanor in most cases but is not a charge to be taken lightly. Choosing a Lawrenceville DUI Lawyer from the Law Office of Richard Lawson is a step in the right direction because all of our Lawrenceville DUI Attorneys are DUI specialists.

Lawrenceville Municipal Court Information

Lawrenceville Municipal Court had jurisdiction over city ordinances and traffic violations that occur within Lawrenceville City Limits. It also hears Georgia State Patrol traffic violations that occur within the city.

The Lawrenceville Municipal Court Judges are:

Honorable Dennis T. Still, Chief Judge
Honorable James W. Garner, Associate Judge

The Chief Clerk of Court is Demetra Morton, and may be reached by calling (770) 963-3288. The address of the court is City Hall Building, 70 South Clayton Street, Lawrenceville, GA 30046.

Map to Lawrenceville Municipal Court

Lawrenceville DUI Defense

Do not let a Lawrenceville DUI charge ruin your life. You need Lawrenceville DUI Attorneys who will fight to protect your rights. Our Lawrenceville DUI Lawyers understand that you are more than likely feeling confused and fearful about your future. That is why you do not want an inexperienced lawyer to handle your case. Your freedom is as important to us as it is to you. Contact the Law Office of Richard Lawson today to speak with one of our DUI Attorneys in Lawrenceville about your options. We even have an office in Lawrenceville to serve you located at 1755 N Brown Road, #200, Lawrenceville, GA 30043. You are not alone; we are here to help.

Map to Law Office of Richard Lawson Lawrenceville office

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

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