When police officers suspect you of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they may administer field sobriety tests as part of their investigations. These include physical tests such as walking in a straight line or reciting alphabet.
Repeat DUI offenses can escalate from misdemeanor charges into more serious felony convictions that carry more severe consequences, including imprisonment, financial fines and long-term career damage. A seasoned Roswell DUI attorney will be able to assess your situation and defend you.
1. Your License Will Be Suspended
Roswell DUI Task Force officers who arrested you will provide you with a document known as a “citation” or “bond.” This document details, among other information, your date of arraignment; at this point they may ask whether or not you intend to hire an attorney; otherwise a court-appointed one may be appointed instead.
An arrest for driving under the influence (DUI) carries serious repercussions, such as suspension of your driver’s license for one year, fines, community service hours and mandatory alcohol education classes. Furthermore, its stigma will disrupt professional life and could mean missing out on job and educational opportunities.
Prosecution in DUI cases often offer plea bargains in order to secure proof of guilt beyond any reasonable doubt. Your lawyer should review any footage recorded at your DUI stop and any sobriety tests administered.
2. You Will Be Arrested
Police officers will arrest you if they suspect that they believe that your behavior suggests that you are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, including observations made of your behavior and physical tests such as walking a straight line and reciting alphabet. Sometimes they also use chemical testing methods such as blood or breath analysis to determine how much alcohol may be present in your system.
Based on the circumstances surrounding your case, you could face charges of DUI and child endangerment. Conviction could carry serious repercussions such as jail time and loss of custody rights – so take this charge seriously and consult an experienced Roswell DUI lawyer who can protect your future.
If a favorable deal cannot be struck with the prosecutor, your case will be scheduled for trial before either a judge or jury at Roswell Municipal Court located within Fulton County Justice Center in Roswell. There are currently 10 state court judges present who oversee state and municipal courts within Roswell Municipal Court.
3. You Will Be Convicted
If your car accident results in the death of another, it is likely that you will be charged with vehicular homicide and arrested for DUI; prosecutor’s will want to know whether alcohol or drugs were present during the incident and what your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level was at that time.
If this is your first offense, participating in Roswell’s pretrial diversion program could help you to avoid conviction. If successful in meeting all requirements of the program, your charge will be dropped automatically.
Most police vehicles in Roswell are equipped with on-dash camera systems, recording every momentous moment during traffic stops and field sobriety tests administered. Our DUI defense attorneys can examine this footage to ascertain whether or not tests were administered properly.
Georgia law makes driving while impaired illegal, whether that be alcohol, drugs or toxic vapors. If children are present when arrested for DUI charges can become even more serious and child endangerment may even be added as a charge.
4. You Will Have to Pay Fines
If you are found guilty of DUI in Georgia, there will be fines associated with this charge. Due to how the DUI laws are written, even first time offenses can incur substantial fines and jail time. Furthermore, risk reduction courses often cost about $130 per class as required by state law for accredited schools.
Roswell operates its own independent court system distinct from Fulton County; all misdemeanor and local ordinance violations go through this system, overseen by Krista Young as Solicitor for Roswell.
Anyone cited by police officers within city limits will receive a paper outlining their case details and date of arraignment. If they miss this date, a judge could issue an arrest warrant and issue warrant for your arrest; an experienced Roswell DUI lawyer will work closely with both parties involved to reach an acceptable plea bargain agreement.
5. You Will Have to Attend Court
Once arrested for DUI at a roadside sobriety checkpoint or by an officer, a piece of paper will be handed to you with your arraignment date written out and mandatory – failing which the judge may issue an arrest warrant against you. To reduce consequences as much as possible it is imperative that a Roswell DUI lawyer be hired from day one.
Police will ask you to perform sobriety tests such as walking in a straight line and reciting ABCs. They may also request a chemical test measuring your blood alcohol content – and should it show that your results exceed Georgia’s legal limit or that you declined state administered tests, your license may be administratively suspended.
Fending off criminal charges on your record can have devastating long-term repercussions that make employment and school attendance increasingly difficult. Seek professional help from an experienced Roswell DUI lawyer when facing such charges; one familiar with Roswell Municipal Court, Fulton County State Court and Superior Court as well as offering plea bargain options may help ensure an appropriate resolution is reached for you.
