Have you been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs? At the Law Offices of Richard S. Lawson, we are whole-heartedly devoted to helping people keep their driving privileges and stay out of jail. If you've been arrested, talk to an attorney as soon as possible. Even if the evidence is stacked against you, a reputable defense lawyer from our firm may be able to get your charges reduced through plea bargaining and negotiations. Without a good attorney, the prosecution will assume that you intend on pleading guilty and won't offer you a favorable charge reduction.

Child Endangerment and Driving While Intoxicated

In Georgia, child endangerment and DUI are considered separate crimes. If you have been arrested in the Athens area, your child endangerment and DUI charges will be handles separately. What does this mean, exactly? In some state, DUI with child endangerment is considered one offense. In Georgia, it is always tried as two crimes committed simultaneously. If convicted, you face severe penalties for both crimes, including fines, probation, license suspension – even incarceration. If you want help staying out of jail, call the firm today.

Under extreme circumstances, DUIs may be charged as felony offenses. Generally speaking, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a misdemeanor. If the court decides that you drove under the influence in aggravated circumstances, your charges could be enhanced. For instance, if your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is more than twice the legal limit (.08%), you may be charged with a felony. Additionally, if police suspect that you drove under the influence and injured someone in the process the crime may be considered an aggravated DUI.

Past convictions? We can help!

Have you been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in the past? Even first convictions carry harsh penalties. If you've been convicted before, an attorney form our firm is ready to aggressively fight for your freedom in court. If you are labeled a repeat or habitual offender, your DUI may be considered a felony crime. If convicted, you face serious legal consequences – not to mention a damaged reputation. Call today for a free case evaluation to see what we can do for your case.

At the firm, we have resolved more than 4,900 DUI cases. We are dedicated to understanding DUI defense, intoxicated driver detection and the science behind blood and breath tests. If you've been charged with driving under the influence, you want an attorney with the knowledge and experience to aggressively fight for your freedom. At the firm, our attorneys are trained to identify impaired drivers with the same curriculum used by police officers. Driving under the influence is never okay; convicting someone of a crime they didn't commit is wrong, too. Blood and breath tests are not always accurate. That's why we've accumulated a broad understanding of sobriety testing.

Field sobriety testing is designed to test an individual's coordination, etc., to see if they are under the influence of alcohol. While alcohol does affect one's ability to complete simple tasks (like standing on one leg), the inability to complete these tasks does not necessarily mean that you are under the influence. For example, a clumsy person could trip and fail the test. At the firm, we are ready to helping anyone who has been arrested for driving under the influence by an overzealous police officer. If you've been wrongfully accused of DUI, talk to a lawyer form the Law Offices of Richard S. Lawson today.

DUI & Marijuana Cases

Whether you realize it or not, you can be charged with DUI for more than driving under the influence of alcohol. If police believe that you are operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs – such as marijuana or prescription medication – you may be arrested and charged with impaired driving. The majority of drugged driving cases involve marijuana. Unfortunately, law enforcement has not developed any technology or form of testing that can accurately identify level of drug impairment.

For instance, many drugs stay in your system days (or weeks) after use. Marijuana can stay in an individual's system long after the effects of the drug have worn off. Typically, law enforcement uses urine or blood tests to identify drugs in a driver's system. Because marijuana can stay in your blood stream long after use, you may be arrested for DUI even though you were not operating a vehicle while impaired. If you've been arrested for drugged driving, contact the Law Offices of Richard S. Lawson – we are ready to stand up for your rights in court.

Athens-Clarke County Resources

Athens-Clarke County Municipal Court
About Athens, GA
DUI Info Center
Map of Athens