Columbus DUI Lawyer

A DUI is a serious crime. Depending on the circumstances of your offense, you can potentially face misdemeanor or felony charges. If you’re convicted, you can be sentenced to jail time, required to pay fines, and ordered to complete a term of probation. A DUI conviction can also lead to collateral consequences that can affect your life for years to come. Our Columbus criminal defense lawyers are ready to help you minimize the impact of your DUI arrest.

The more times you’re arrested for DUI, the more severe the charges become. Once you’re convicted of DUI three times, subsequent offenses become felonies. A felony DUI conviction can lead to mandatory jail time, years in prison, and severe restrictions on your driving privileges. The best way to avoid these (and other) penalties is by asserting an aggressive defense led by our skilled attorneys.

Ohio has strict laws regarding underage drinking and driving. If you’re under 21, you can be charged with a DUI if your BAC is just .02 percent. That means that you could potentially face criminal DUI charges for driving after having just one shot or a beer. Those criminal offenses can turn a young person’s future upside down. Our lawyers will do everything possible to put your family’s underage DUI arrest in the past.

The state is empowered to revoke your driving privileges if you’re arrested, charged, and/or conviction on DUI charges in Columbus. If you refuse a breathalyzer or your BAC is above the legal limit, your license will be suspended automatically. You’ll have a limited time to challenge the Administrative License Suspension (ALS) and fight to get it back – even if you’re never convicted of a crime. Our lawyers are here to help you fight to stay on the road. 

You must be arraigned within 5 days of your DUI arrest. An arraignment is a preliminary hearing where you’re informed of the charges against you and given the opportunity to enter a plea. It’s important to make sure that you’re represented by an attorney at this hearing. Our lawyers, after having reviewed your case, will be ready to file motions to challenge the state’s case and begin to put your defense in motion.

After a DUI arrest, two things can happen. You might be released on your own recognizance or detained in police custody. If you’re detained, you’ll probably be required to post bail in order to go home. Our lawyers can challenge your bail requirement and/or help you secure the funds needed to get you home. As long as you show up for your DUI court date, the money you posted will be returned to you (or the bail bondsman you worked with).

Many times, first-time DUI offenders are sentenced to probation, rather than time behind bars. You must complete the terms of probation, as set by the court, in order to put your DUI behind you. These might include a drug and alcohol treatment program, community service, and even mandatory and random drug testing. If you fail to satisfy the terms, you can face any original penalties for the underlying DUI offense – including jail.

Breath tests are commonly used by the police to gather evidence of a driver’s intoxication. However, breathalyzers are inherently unreliable. Many departments fail to maintain their machines property and tests are often performed incorrectly. There are also many factors that can influence the results of a breath test. Our attorneys will vigorously challenge the validity of any breath test results in the state’s case. If the evidence is faulty or unreliable, we’ll ask a court to throw it out.

In Columbus, urine tests are commonly used when a driver is suspected of being under the influence of a controlled substance. While a urine test can show traces of drugs in your system, experts don’t really consider the results persuasive. Since drugs can remain in the urine for weeks, these tests are considered to be unreliable for determining if a person is presently under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Our team will object to the reliability and weight of this type of evidence on your behalf.