DUI Attorney in Atlanta

Charges of driving under the influence (DUI) in Atlanta are not like a typical traffic offense.  If you are convicted of this crime, you face stiff penalties, including the following:

• First offense: Fines range from $600 to $1,000, and offenders spend between 24 hours and 12 months in jail.  At least 40 hours of community service is required, and DUI school and mandatory alcohol evaluation may be required.  License suspension extends for 12 months.
• Second offense:  Expect to spend from 72 hours to 12 months in jail and pay fines ranging from $600 to $1,000.  Community service requirements start at 240 hours, DUI school and alcohol evaluations are required, and the license is suspended for three years, after which an ignition interlock device must be installed on every vehicle owned by the offender and remain for at least six months.
• Third offense:  A third offense is elevated to a high and aggravated misdemeanor, increasing fines to a range from $1,000 to $5,000, mandatory prison sentences of 120 days to 12 months, at least 30 days of community service and completion of the Risk Reduction Program.  Offenders must undergo a clinical evaluation and complete a substance abuse treatment.  The license suspension is increased to five years.

You need an Atlanta DUI attorney who can provide a full criminal defense for your case.

What you can expect during Atlanta DUI stops and arrests

If you are stopped under suspicion of DUI—and before your arrest—police typically ask you to submit to both a chemical blood alcohol test (breathalyzer, urine, or blood), and possibly a field sobriety test.  There is no legal requirement to submit to the field sobriety test, but refusing a blood alcohol test carries immediate penalties.  Under the Administrative License Suspension Law, your license may be suspended for one year.  Atlanta DUI attorneys can often investigate the equipment or testing process used to look for opportunities to refute this evidence in court.

Although the official legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit is 0.08 percent, you can be arrested with a lower BAC if the officer has observed your ability to drive is impaired.

Once a traffic stop becomes an arrest, you have the right to an attorney.  At that time, you should specifically state that you want to exercise your right to remain silent and your right to an attorney.  Make no further statements until your Atlanta criminal defense lawyer is there to represent you through the criminal process.

Atlanta DUI help when you are accused of a DUI crime

Whether you are charged with an Atlanta drunk driving offense, a drug crime, or need an expungement or post conviction attorney, contact our Atlanta DUI attorneys at the Ibrahim Law Firm LLC for guidance and dedicated representation in criminal defense matters.