Lilburn DUI Lawyer – Lilburn DUI Attorney
Lilburn DUI Defense
Richard Lawson is Georgia's top-rated DUI attorney with over 25 years' experience in DUI law. He is a former DUI prosecutor; he has the advantage of knowing both sides of a DUI case. Please see his reviews on the attorney rating site Avvo and contact our office for a free, no-obligation consultation.
30-Day Warning
If you were arrested for DUI in Lilburn, you should know that you only have thirty days from the date of your arrest to keep the State from suspending your driver's license. You (or your Lilburn DUI Lawyer) must file an Administrative License Suspension hearing request or an ignition interlock device within the thirty-day timeframe or your license will automatically be suspended. The fee is $150. If you refused the State's chemical test of breath, blood, or urine, your license will be suspended for one year with no opportunity for a restricted permit.
Anyone Can Be Charged With DUI
Almost two million people across the US are arrested and charged with DUI a year. Most of them are good people who are generally law-abiding. Maybe they only had a few drinks with their dinner and were stopped on their way home for a minor traffic violation. Law enforcement then questioned them if they had been drinking, and were made to perform field sobriety tests (which they did not know were involuntary). They were subsequently arrested and taken to jail and left feeling like their situation was hopeless.
Who to Trust When It Comes to Choosing a DUI Lawyer
Most people who are arrested and charged with DUI are confused and in shocked with the entire experience. Many report having feelings of guilt and shame. They feel as if their life is over. They just want to plead guilty and “get it over with.”
One thing is sure: never trust a bondsman or “someone at the jail” to refer you to a good Lilburn DUI Attorney. Also, any Lilburn DUI Lawyer who tells you not to worry because they know the judge or prosecutor is not to be trusted.
A conviction for DUI is criminal and stays on your record for the rest of your life. Before deciding on whether to plead guilty or fight your Lilburn DUI case, consider these “costs” of a DUI conviction:
- Increased insurance premiums;
- Implications for your current job or future employment—many employers will not hire a prospective job applicant with an alcohol-related driving conviction;
- Restricted driving privileges or ZERO driving privileges;
- Facing multiple offense punishments if convicted in the future
- If you are a college student, you could be subject to disciplinary action by your school.
Fighting Breath Test Results
A good Lilburn DUI Attorney should never take breath test results at face value. Different testing procedures are used across Georgia to determine the amount of alcohol in a driver's system. Some law enforcement agencies have decided to do blood testing on DUI suspects, while others use the breath test or even urine test.
It does not matter which testing method, none of them are perfect. Machines break down and malfunction. Like a car, hair dryer, or dishwasher, machines break over a period of time. Machines that are used to collect and analyze a person's breath, blood, or urine have the same fate. Some methods and their machines are more reliable than others. There are more possible errors that can happen when humans are involved in the collecting and analyzing process.
A Lilburn DUI Lawyer should be familiar with all of the different tests and machines used in Georgia. Hiring an experienced Lilburn DUI Attorney gives you the chance to fight the facts. In some cases, your Lilburn DUI Lawyer may be able to prevent your chemical test results from being entered into evidence.
Fighting Field Sobriety Tests
Field sobriety tests are a series of mental and physical tests that law enforcement officers administer in a DUI investigation. How well a driver performs on these tests are supposed to be an indication of whether or not the driver is impaired. They are made up of three different tests:
- Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) – This test looks for involuntary movements or jerking of a driver's eyes and the inability to follow a pen, the officers finger, or other object from left to right with your eyes.
- Walk-and-Turn – The law enforcement officer will ask you to take approximately nine steps in a straight line while walking heel-to-toe. You will then be asked to turn around on one foot and walk back in the same manner.
- One-leg Stand – The officer will ask you to stand on one leg until instructed to put your foot down. This test helps the officer check for balance (or imbalance).
These tests, like breath tests, can be challenged on their reliability in court. Studies show that even when they are performed correctly, are only 81-91% accurate in detecting intoxication.
Your Lilburn DUI Attorney may also challenge whether the officer who arrested you correctly executed the field sobriety tests according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standards and guidelines.
Some officers ask DUI suspects to recite their ABCs backward, have them close their eyes and touch their nose with their finger, or perform some other non-standardized test to determine if they are inebriated. Those are also unreliable.
Some motorists who are pressured to perform field sobriety tests have physical or psychological conditions that can affect test results. Some conditions include:
- Inner ear infection – The inner ear assists you in maintaining balance and equilibrium. Damage to this area can cause you to stumble or fall during field sobriety tests without being intoxicated.
- Neurological injury – A traumatic brain injury could be the reason for involuntary eye movements during the HGN test.
- Movement or skeletal disorders – Many individuals who have not consumed any alcohol whatsoever cannot walk heel-to-toe because they have medical issues with their spine, legs, feet, and muscles. If any field sobriety test did not take any of these impairments into account, a good DUI Lawyer in Lilburn should challenge it.
Lilburn Municipal Court
The Municipal Court of Lilburn handles city code and traffic violations that occur within the City of Lilburn. Court is held at the Lilburn Police Department at 76 Main Street, Lilburn, GA 30047. The Honorable Charles Barrett, III is the Chief Judge, and Emily Harvey and Reyna Casiano are the Clerks of Municipal Court.
Court sessions are usually held the first and second Tuesdays of each month at 9:00 AM and 1:30 PM, and on the third and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 3:30 PM. Court for teenagers is usually held the last Tuesday of the months of January, April, July, and October.
Daily office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM. When attending court, please keep in mind that all persons entering the courtroom are subject to search. For more information, call (770) 921-2505.
Map to Lilburn Municipal Court
Let Us Help You
After a Lilburn DUI arrest, you may feel like your life is over and there is nothing you can do. You may feel embarrassed, stressed and upset. At the Law Office of Richard Lawson, our Lilburn DUI Lawyers know just how you feel and will treat you with the care and compassion you deserve. We know you have many Lilburn DUI Attorneys to choose from when you need a DUI Lawyer in Lilburn. Choose the law firm with the most experienced DUI defense team in the state. Do not delay in contacting a seasoned Lilburn DUI Attorney as soon as possible after your arrest. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for your convenience.
Our Attorneys
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Richard Lawson
Managing Partner at Lawson & Berry:
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Kimberly A. Berry
Partner at Lawson & Berry:
Lilburn DUI Resources
Gwinnett County Police Department
Administrative Office of the Courts
Gwinnett County District Attorney
Georgia Department of Driver Services
