Milton DUI Lawyer - Milton DUI Attorney
Milton DUI Defense
Have you been arrested for DUI in Milton Georgia? If so, you know what a scary and confusing time it can be. You probably have a lot of questions about what penalties are common, when you can expect to get your license back, and if hiring a Milton DUI lawyer is really necessary. But there is a solution, just call the professionals at the Law Office of Richard Lawson. We are there for you 24/7 to answer your questions and advise you what to do next. There are a lot of tough decisions and important information you should know about your DUI. After a DUI arrest, you only have thirty days to file a letter in order to keep from losing your license while you await trial. Your experienced Milton DUI Attorney will be able to make sure this is taken care of right away. Your Milton DUI Lawyer will help you decide how to enter your initial plea and will fight tirelessly for you.
Milton DUI Attorney Richard Lawson has over 25 years' experience working with DUI clients. After graduating from Emory Law School, he went on to train as a DUI prosecutor in Georgia. As a Former Georgia DUI Prosecutor, he has now dedicated his practice to defending people just like you who are charged with DUI in the State of Georgia. He was able to use his experiences as a DUI prosecutor to gain a unique perspective for his clients. For over 20 years, he has fought for his clients in over 4,600 cases and has served as lead counsel in hundreds of Georgia DUI jury trials. Unlike other law firms, lawyers at the Law Office of Richard Lawson are not general practitioners who take all types of cases. Our Milton DUI Lawyers specialize in DUI and DUI-related charges so they know all the nuances of Milton DUI law and Milton DUI Defense. Our Milton DUI Attorneys know the DUI Process and the DUI Defense in Milton GA. We are the top-rated and most reviewed DUI Lawyers in Georgia. You can read our reviews on AVVO.
If you or someone you know has been arrested in Milton for DUI, call the Law Office of Richard Lawson today. The sooner you call, the sooner they can get to work helping you. You need to take immediate steps to protect your drivers license. The biggest mistake someone arrested for DUI can make is failing to protect their right to drive.
30-Day Warning for people charged with DUI in Milton Georgia
This is important. You must have your Milton DUI Attorney file your appeal or your will be faced with no license or permit to drive for up to one year. You only have one opportunity to protect your right to drive. If you are suspended because no hearing request was made, it cannot be undone or fixed later. This is your chance. Your Milton DUI Lawyer must file your ALS Hearing Request within the first thirty days. There is a $150 filing fee that the State of Georgia charges to request the hearing.
The Consequences of DUI In Milton - DUI Penalties in Milton Georgia
The first thing you will probably want to know about DUI in Milton, GA is what DUI Penalties you may be facing. Judges and courts look to crack down on driving under the influence offenders so the maximum penalties are often enforced. Even a First Time DUI Offender can get up to one year in jail, probation, up to $1000 in fines and fees, community service, loss of driver's license and more. In addition, offenders are often forced to attend alcohol or drug counseling and safe driving classes. Jail, probation, community service and classes all require your time and can get in the way of work or school. In addition, having a DUI conviction on your record can raise your insurance rates and may affect your chances for future work or school opportunities.
If this is your 2nd DUI, 3rd DUI, or even 4th DUI, the Georgia DUI Consequences can be even more severe. You could face over a year of jail, probation, community service, loss of license and more. Not to mention the more DUI convictions you have, the greater chance you have of being charged with a felony! Multiple offenses can lead to you being declared an Habitual Violator or being declared a felon. Felonies have even harsher penalties and have a lot more serious long-term consequences. There are alternative punishments and other options if you are charged with DUI in Milton Georgia.
The best way to avoid these harsh penalties is to get your charges reduced or dropped. While this is not always possible, a good DUI Defense can help you throughout your arraignment and trial. You may very well be able to win your case!! Your case will not defend itself. Hire a Milton DUI Attorney as soon as possible. A Milton DUI Lawyer will know how to defend your case and seek the best possible result. The Georgia DUI Laws are complicated and change often. Our experts only handle DUI Cases in order to stay on top of any changes in the Georgia DUI Law.
If you have been charged with DUI in Milton, GA, call us today and speak with an experienced Milton DUI lawyer who can explain to you all the benefits the best legal representation in Milton. The Milton DUI Lawyers in our office will investigate your case and seek a reduction of the charges to reckless driving or a dismissal.
There is Hope - How a Milton DUI Lawyer Will Help You
It is important to call a lawyer immediately after your Milton, GA DUI arrest. You only have thirty days after your arrest to file what is referred to as a 30 day letter, which will stop the process of license suspension. If you miss this window, you may be without a license until your trial. The next step is to examine your arrest and look for errors made by police or violations of your rights. Ideally, our goal is to get your DUI charges thrown out or reduced to a lesser charge such as reckless driving. Even if you believe yourself to be innocent, this is not always possible to do. Your Milton DUI lawyer will begin working for you immediately to build your DUI Defenses and question the validity of the evidence the prosecutor has against you. If the prosecution can be led to believe they do not have enough evidence to try you for DUI, they will often change the charge to reckless driving. Though reckless driving can still be a serious charge, the maximum penalties, and the stigma are not as harsh as those associated with DUI.
If the prosecution is unwilling to reduce your charges to reckless driving, the next compromise would be a plea bargain. Your Milton DUI attorney will work to convince the prosecutor that you have strong DUI Defenses, and a jury is likely to be on your side. If the prosecution thinks that there is a good chance you may be found ‘not guilty' in a jury trial and does not want to go through the entire trial process, they will offer a plea bargain. A plea bargain is when the prosecutor offers you a pre-determined set of DUI Penalties in exchange for you pleading ‘guilty' and avoiding going to trial. These can be good because you know what the consequences will be before you agree to anything. It also saves you time and money since you will not have to wait to go to court. In some cases, the deals offered may not be fair and you would likely get better results going to trial. This is why having a lawyer experienced in Georgia DUI Law is crucial. A Milton DUI Lawyer who has been through many DUI cases knows what a fair plea bargain is and what you can realistically expect to get out of a trial.
Before you go to trial you will have a chance to plead ‘guilty' or ‘not guilty' in front of the judge at your arraignment. Your Milton DUI attorney will be able to advise you how you should plea. You can always change your plea later if you need to. Even if you plan on pleading ‘guilty', a knowledgeable DUI lawyer in Milton might advise you to go ahead and enter an initial plea of ‘not guilty'. This gives you more time to think about your case and the prosecution must then release to you what evidence they have against you. It may turn out they have a far weaker case than you initially thought and your lawyer may be able to get a plea bargain or lighter sentence than if you simply plead ‘guilty'.
The key to getting reduced charges, a good plea bargain, or a ‘not guilty' verdict in your trial is to build a solid defense. In trial, the prosecutor has to convince the jury of your guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt”. A few pieces of solid evidence is often enough to establish some doubt. Your Milton DUI attorney will look at all aspects of your initial stop and arrest to see if there were any mistakes made or any violations of your rights. For example, if there was not a legitimate reason for the police officer to pull you over in the first place, the case will likely be dismissed. If there was any profiling afflicted with your stop or if your were never read your rights are also examples. Another way to establish doubt is to look at how your impairment was measured. In some cases professional witnesses can be called in to testify that breathalyzers and other blood alcohol level testing devices are misused causing inaccurate results. Always have your Milton DUI Case investigated for potential defenses.
If you are facing a DUI charge in Milton, Georgia, call the Law Office of Richard Lawson today. Our Milton DUI lawyers have been defending DUI clients for over two decades.
The Milton DUI Process
The first step in any DUI is the initial stop. This can happen either by Milton police pulling you over or by being stopped at a roadside checkpoint. If you are pulled over by police at a Georgia DUI Roadblock, it is important to note that the officer must have had a valid reason for pulling you over i.e. speeding, failure to use a turn signal, etc. Random roadside sobriety checkpoints need to be set up according to certain protocol like publicly announcing when and where the checkpoint will take place. If these protocol are not followed, your charges may be thrown out. We will investigate the Milton DUI roadblock in your case to see if it was validly handled in your case.
When you are stopped, Milton police officers are trained to look for signs of intoxication. This includes the scent for drugs or alcohol, evidence of open containers or drug paraphernalia in the car or the driver appearing impaired. They will look for slurred speech, red eyes, confusion and other common clues that the driver could be intoxicated. If an officer asks if you have been drinking, you do not legally have to answer. If the officer suspects that you are driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you will be asked to perform one or both of the two types of sobriety tests.
The first type of sobriety test used in Milton, GA is the walk and turn field sobriety test. This type of test involves the police asking you to step out of the car and walk a straight line, balance on one foot or something similar that tests your motor skills. You can legally decline taking these tests and you should know that if you do choose to perform these tests you will likely be recorded by the police officer's dashboard camera. This video will then be used as evidence against you. The second type of test is the blood alcohol concentration test (BAC). These are more scientific tests and use your breath, blood or urine to measure the alcohol in your system. If you refuse to take a BAC test, there will be no legal repercussions in the case itself, but under the Implied Consent Law, you will lose your driver's license for one year. So refusals in Milton DUI Cases can be a real problem for those charged with DUI.
If you fail the sobriety test, you will be arrested for DUI and taken to Milton jail. You will have to stay in jail for several hours until you can be released on bond. A bond can be either paid in cash or by a loan from a bondsman. The next thing you should do is call the Law Office of Richard Lawson immediately. The sooner you get a Milton DUI Lawyer, the better we will be able to help you. You only have thirty days from the date of your arrest to file your 30-day letter to avoid losing your license. Our Milton DUI Lawyers are here to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, holidays, and weekends.
Your first chance to plead ‘guilty' or ‘not guilty' to a Milton, GA DUI charge will be at your arraignment. If you plead ‘not guilty', you will move to trial. While you are preparing for trial the prosecution may offer you a plea bargain. Having an experienced Milton DUI Attorney will come in handy as they can help negotiate a plea bargain and advise you whether or not you are being offered a fair deal. Our Milton DUI Attorneys know how to get fair outcomes in the City of Milton Municipal Court.
Finally, if you do not accept a plea bargain, you will go to trial. Milton DUI trials are made up of six-person juries. However, those trials will take place in the State Court of Fulton County. There are no jury trials in the city of Milton. Our experienced Fulton County DUI Lawyers are here to help. Our Fulton County DUI Attorneys know how to fight your case in Fulton County State Court.
The prosecution will then present their evidence. Your lawyer will attempt to refute the evidence and present your defense. A ‘not guilty' verdict is always the target, but even if you are found ‘guilty' your lawyer may still be able to work with the judge to get your sentence reduced. Contact a Fulton County DUI Attorney today. We have a Fulton County DUI Lawyer from our office for immediate attention.
If you are charged with a DUI in Milton, GA you will be facing a lot of tough choices that will affect your future. Don't you want to make sure you have the best legal assistance around? Contact the Law Offices of Richard S. Lawson right away and we can go to work building your case!
Milton DUI Practice Areas
First, Second, and Third DUIs in Milton GA
If you have been convicted of one or more previous DUIs and you get charged with another DUI in Milton, GA, you could be looking at some serious Georgia DUI Penalties. It is important to have legal representation that knows how to deal with people who have had Prior DUI Convictions and multiple DUI arrests. Since we specialize in understanding the Georgia DUI laws, the Law Office of Richard Lawson has experience defending hundreds of clients charged with a second or third DUI. Multiple DUI charges can carry consequences like a year of jail time, $1000 in fines, probation and 3-5 years of license suspension. Plus, when you do get your license reinstated you may be required to install an ignition interlock system in your car. This device will check your blood alcohol level via a breath test attached to your care. It is used every time you attempt to start the engine. A third DUI arrest or more likely a fourth DUI arrest has the potential to be charged as a felony as well. A Felony DUI charge is much more serious than a regular misdemeanor DUI. A felony can have very long-term negative effects that will stay with you for your entire life. It is vital that you call a Milton DUI lawyer from the Law Office of Richard Lawson right away if you have been charged with DUI and have one or two prior convictions on your criminal record.
Underage DUI in Milton GA - Juvenile DUI in Milton GA
If you are under 21 and are caught driving with a BAC level that is over .02%, Milton police will charge you with DUI. If you are under 21 and caught driving with a BAC over .08%, the penalties will be even greater. We have DUI Specialists trained to Handle Underage DUI in Milton Georgia. If you are under 21 and charged with DUI in Milton, your situation is very serious. Your DUI case can cause lifelong consequences. If you are 17 years old, you are an adult for criminal law purposes. Your case is headed to adult court, and the outcome of the case is forever. Take great care with your case and hire the best DUI Defense in Milton. Our office has attorneys who specialize in dealing with youthful offenders.
Police officers are encouraged to crack down on underage drunk driving and will not hesitate to arrest you even if you have only a small percentage of alcohol in your system. The consequences are steep for underage DUI as well. If convicted, there is a minimum license suspension of 180 days and a maximum of one year! Worst of all, you will not be entitled to receive a limited school and work driving permit. That means that you will not be able to get behind the wheel of a car for any reason for at least 6 months! In order to keep your license and get your best shot at beating the charges, you will need to get a professional DUI attorney who knows about under 21 DUI law. The Law Office of Richard Lawson has been practicing DUI law for over 20 years and know exactly what you need to do to fight Milton, GA DUI charges!
Suspended License in Milton Georgia
When someone is convicted of a DUI in Milton, GA, they are often sentenced to a license suspension. This can be very inconvenient for some people and may cause them to fall behind in school or even lose their job. Luckily, there are ways to obtain limited driver's permits that allow someone with a suspended license to drive to get to school, work, or medical appointments. If you have had your license suspended from a DUI or DUI related conviction, call the Law Office of Richard Lawson today. We will go over your entire case and see if you may be eligible for a limited driving permit.
The First Step in Your Milton DUI Defense is to Call Now:
Every DUI case can be defended. There are always potential defenses. There are always alternative punishments. We never assume that you are guilty. Our motto is an arrest for DUI in Milton does not mean you are automatically guilty. Even if there are no apparent defenses to your Milton DUI case, there are ways to minimize the potential impact on your life. Call Now for immediate attention. We are here 24/7, holidays, nights and weekends to protect your rights and your freedom.
Map to Milton Georgia Municipal Court - 13000 Deerfield Parkway, Suite 107E Milton Georgia 30004
Our Attorneys
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Richard Lawson
Managing Partner at Lawson & Berry:
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Kimberly A. Berry
Partner at Lawson & Berry:
Map To Our Office in Milton Georgia
Milton DUI Resources
