Putnam County DUI Lawyer

Putnam County DUI Lawyer - Putnam County DUI Attorney

You should know that just because you had an arrest for DUI in Putnam County, Georgia, does not mean that you do not have rights and your case is hopeless. There are possible defenses that could be gleaned from the details of your arrest. Information on how to fight your case can be exposed and used for a favorable outcome. Richard Lawson is a former Georgia prosecutor and the most reviewed DUI Defense Attorney in the state. Contact his office today, but first, check out his reviews on Avvo.

COST-FREE EVALUATION OF YOUR CASE

Having your case analyzed through a free, no obligation consultation with one of our DUI Attorneys in Putnam County is the best place to start in building a strong defense. A skilled DUI Lawyer in Putnam County from the Law Office of Richard Lawson will carefully evaluate each minute detail of your arrest, looking for any mistakes or possible advantages that could work in your favor. They will discuss all options that are available to you to fight your Putnam County DUI charge.

The prosecution relies on the police report that could include results of any blood, breath, urine or field sobriety test results to use against you in a court of law. However, these methods of testing are often challenged and in many cases, can be proven to be unreliable if they are not performed or maintained properly. Whether this is your first DUI arrest or a second offense, there is no time to waste. The clock is ticking, and your attorney should be coming up with a plan of action based on what happened when you were arrested and how to challenge any evidence against you as soon as possible.

If you were arrested for DUI in Putnam County, you are more than likely concerned about what will happen to your car, your driver's license, your job, and having a criminal record. The first thing you must remember is that you only have thirty (30) days from the date of your arrest to fight to keep your license from being suspended:

30-Day Warning For All Georgia DUI Cases

If you were arrested for DUI in the State of Georgia, you MUST request an ALS Hearing or an ignition interlock device within thirty days of your arrest. The State charges a fee of $150 to file for the hearing. If the hearing or device is not requested within the 30-day timeframe, your driver's license will automatically be suspended. If you have been accused of refusing the breath, blood, or urine test, your license will be suspended for one year, with no permit to drive.

As you can see, the stakes are high. There are no second chances to have your case handled properly. Taking advantage of our free consultation and evaluation of your case could uncover possible mistakes made during your arrest. Those mistakes could result in ways keep your license and privilege to drive on the roadways of the State of Georgia.

The possibility of finding errors or mistakes varies from case to case, according to each person's unique arrest. You have to take swift action to learn the facts and details of your personal Putnam County DUI arrest. Arresting officers have strict policy, procedure and protocol they must follow during a DUI arrest. If they fail to follow those procedures to the letter, your case could be dismissed; saving you from more legal fees and DUI fines that can come with a guilty plea or conviction. Your best option you have to fight your DUI charge is choosing a solid defense with a Putnam County DUI Lawyer from the Law Office of Richard Lawson as soon as possible after your arrest.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I AM ARRESTED FOR DUI IN PUTNAM COUNTY, GEORGIA?

If you want the best chance of keeping your driver's license and avoiding a DUI conviction, contact a Putnam County DUI Attorney from the Law Office of Richard Lawson right away. When fighting a Putnam County DUI charge, many details necessary to formulate a formidable defense can be forgotten or remembered too late to be put into effect if you wait until the day before your court date to act.

Most people who call us after a DUI arrest do not know their options, what to do next, or what to expect in finding possible ways to win their case. They are unaware of their legal options or defense strategies that are available to them after their case has been evaluated. Our team of qualified, expert DUI Attorneys in Putnam County are available to assist you in making the right choice for you based on the details of your arrest, and will find any possible options you may have.

Once you decide to hire a top-rated Putnam County DUI Attorney from our office to handle your case, they can analyze your breath test to make sure the particular machine used in your DUI arrest was calibrated correctly. If you took a blood test instead, your blood sample could be tested by an independent lab to make sure your blood alcohol content (BAC) reading was accurate. Also, field sobriety tests are notorious for being biased and flawed in determining whether someone is sober or intoxicated. Sometimes persons "fail" field sobriety tests because officers give complicated instructions on how to perform the tests, bad surface or road conditions, or a pre-existing medical condition or injury involved. Even if your breath test showed you had a BAC of .08 or higher, this does not mean you are guilty, and your case cannot be won.

If you are pulled over and subsequently arrested and charged with DUI in Putnam County, Georgia, it is imperative to know your rights based on the details of your individual arrest and what immediate steps you should take to defend your case. The first thing you should do is exercise your right to remain silent. It is understandable to be nervous when you are pulled over by law enforcement. Being nervous can often lead to saying too much or give the impression you are impaired. Keep in mind that saying anything more than necessary can be used against you if you are arrested. Always be polite and remain calm. If you do not know why you were stopped, you can respectfully ask the officer for an explanation. Law enforcement must have probable cause or a valid reason to pull you over. That is why it is so important to contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation for a Putnam County DUI charge. Our office has skilled Putnam County DUI Lawyers who could discover ways to fight and win your case if your traffic stop is found to be invalid.

After a DUI arrest in Putnam County, your first concern is more than likely the possibility of losing your driver's license. Did you refuse to submit to a chemical test of your blood, breath or urine? If you are looking at a refusal case by not submitting to testing, you could lose your driver's license for one year. Prosecutors know that most DUI cases rely heavily on the results of chemical testing, and a conviction is harder to obtain without them. Therefore, Georgia has strict DUI refusal laws to "motivate" people into complying with these tests. One helpful thing to do is write down what and how much you had to drink, when you started and stopped drinking, and when and what you ate. This seemingly unimportant information could prove to be helpful when crafting your defense.

A COMMON (AND COSTLY) MISTAKE MADE WHEN HIRING A PUTNAM COUNTY DUI LAWYER

After a DUI charge, a common and expensive mistake people can make is to choose a general practitioner who is more than likely not skilled enough in DUI law to represent them. Hiring an attorney without doing your research and asking the right questions could result in a less than favorable outcome when you go to court. Choosing the right attorney to handle your DUI case is an important and potentially life-altering decision. Even if you have already chosen a lawyer to represent you, you have nothing to lose by contacting us for a free consultation. Our skilled Putnam County DUI Attorneys could discover details or law enforcement errors that your attorney might have missed.

NAVIGATING THE COURT SYSTEM IN PUTNAM COUNTY, GA

Eatonton Municipal Court

Where you were arrested in Putnam County determines which court will have jurisdiction over your DUI case. If your misdemeanor DUI arrest occurred within the city limits of Eatonton, hire an Eatonton DUI Lawyer to represent you in Eatonton Municipal Court. Our skilled Putnam County DUI Lawyers have much experience with Eatonton Municipal Court. Court is held the second Thursday of each month at the Eatonton Police Department at 214 W Marion Street, Eatonton, Georgia 31024 at 9:00 AM. The municipal court judge is the R. Michael Gailey, Jr.

The Law Office of Richard Lawson has DUI Lawyers in Eatonton ready to give your case the time, attention and compassion you deserve. Call today!

State Court of Putnam County

If you have been arrested and charged with DUI in Putnam County and would like a jury trial, your case will go to Putnam County State Court. R. Michael Gailey, Jr. is also the Putnam County State Court judge, and Russell Thomas, the Solicitor General. Shazett Bullard and Sandra Mitts are the deputy clerks. State Court is also held at the Putnam County Courthouse at 100 S Jefferson Avenue, Eatonton, Georgia 31024. The contact number for Judge Gailey is (706) 485-4056; Russell Thomas, Solicitor General, (706) 923-2331.

Superior Court of Putnam County

Putnam County Superior Court has jurisdiction over all felony DUI cases. The Clerk of Courts for Putnam County is Sheila H. Perry. Her contact number is (706) 485-4501. Her office is in the Putnam County Courthouse in Suite 236. Court hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM—5 PM. For more information, please visit the Putnam County Clerk of Court website .

Putnam County Superior Court judges are part of the Ocmulgee Judicial District that includes Baldwin, Greene, Jasper, Jones, Morgan, Putnam, Wilkinson and Hancock Counties. There are four judges that hear cases. They are:

Honorable William A. Prior, Jr.
Chief Superior Court Judge
Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit
P O Box 728
Madison, GA 30650
(706) 342-0672

Honorable Hulane E. George
Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit
P O Box 1050
Milledgeville, GA 31059
(478) 445-4270

Honorable Hugh V. Wingfield, III
Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit
P O Box 1539
Gray, GA 31032
(478) 986-6501

E. Trenton Brown, III
Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit
P O Box 111
Monticello, GA 31064
(706) 468-4906

The Chief Prosecuting Officer for Superior Court is the District Attorney's Office. The District Attorney for Putnam County is Fred D. Bright. He can be reached at:

Fred D. Bright, District Attorney
Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit
P O Box 1209
Gray, GA 31032
(478) 986-3166

If you have been charged with a DUI in Putnam County, Georgia, take swift action today by taking advantage of our free consultation to have your case evaluated. Time is a crucial factor in every Putnam County DUI case. Knowing what to do and which actions to take is critical, and we are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to assist you and get you going in the right direction. Call and speak with one of the qualified Putnam County DUI Lawyers with the Law Office of Richard Lawson today!

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