DUI

DUI Defense Lawyer in Atlanta & Alpharetta, Georgia

Driving Under the Influence in Georgia carries penalties that may include fines, jail time, suspension or permanent loss of driver’s license, increased insurance premiums and other financial penalties related to property damage and physical harm. Our criminal law firm is located in Alpharetta and represents clients in drunk driving cases in Roswell, Duluth, Sandy Springs, Canton, Woodstock, Cumming, Norcross, Lawrenceville, Marietta, and throughout the entire Atlanta metropolitan area.

A driver may not look, act or feel drunk to be legally drunk under DUI laws in Georgia. The driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) is used to determine impairment. If the BAC is over the legal limit, the driver is considered to be drunk, even if he or she only had a single glass of wine and exhibits no signs of impairment. Although drivers are routinely subjected to breath tests, the only accurate assessment of the blood alcohol content is a blood test.

There are two types of DUI violations under Georgia state law, including “less safe” violations and “per se” violations. In Georgia, having a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or higher is enough for a driver to be legally presumed intoxicated and charged with driving under the influence. If the driver is 21 or younger, the individual can be charged with driving drunk with a blood alcohol level of 0.02%.

Drivers are considered “less safe” with a blood alcohol content of between 0.05% and 0.08% and a jury determines if the driver is guilty of driving under the influence. The prosecution can seek to prove that a driver with a BAC of less than 0.05% was a danger on the road and the driver can be found convicted of DUI. When a driver is under the influence of illegal drugs, there is an automatic charge for driving under the influence, regardless of the amount of the substance in the driver’s blood.

Police officers at the scene will want the individual to submit to a machine breath test for blood alcohol content and perform field sobriety tests. Georgia DUI attorneys do not advise heir clients to take these tests, even if the police officer is persuasive. You have the right to show your driver’s license and ask for your attorney. Refusal will generally result in arrest, but from the perspective of evidence, this may be in your best interests.

DUI charges impact many areas of your life, including your career, particularly if you have a past history of driving under the influence on your record. An experienced Alpharetta DUI lawyer can help you at every stage of the process from the first time you were pulled over to before or after testing. If you have been arrested or charged with drunk driving, call the Ford Law Firm to discuss your case with an Alpharetta DUI attorney.