At the Law Offices of Richard S. Lawson, we are dedicated to helping people stand up for their rights in court. Are you facing DUI charges? We can help! In Georgia, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is taken very seriously. At the firm, we understand that driving under the influence is dangerous. Convicting an innocent person of DUI is wrong, too. Over the past 20+ years, we have help clients in more than 4,900 DUI cases; let us put our experience to good work for you. Call our office anytime to schedule a free case evaluation – the sooner we hear about your case, the faster we can begin working on an aggressive and effective case strategy to help you keep your driver's license and stay out of jail.

Georgia Law: DUI and Child Endangerment

DUI actually refers a variety of criminal offenses. For instance, there are separate laws dealing with felony DUI, misdemeanor DUI, drug-related DUI, etc. In some states, impaired driving and child endangerment are combined into one offense. In the state of Georgia, child endangerment and intoxicated driving are always tried separately. However, if you are convicted of driving under the influence and child endangerment, you may face severe penalties – even incarceration.

Although driving under the influence is usually a misdemeanor, aggravated circumstances may cause your offense to be tried as a felony instead. At the Law Officers of Richard S. Lawson, we are ready to fight for you rights against a felony DUI charge. What are aggravated circumstances, exactly? If you are diving excessively fast while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, law enforcement may considered your DUI to be aggravated. Commonly, DUI cases involved accidents, injuries or vehicular manslaughter are charged as felonies, too.

Is a plea bargain right for you?

Sometimes, we advise our clients to take plea bargains. A plea bargain involves negotiations between the prosecution and the defense in which the defendant agrees to plead guilty if the prosecution lessens their potential sentence or reduces the charges held against them. If you are facing charges of driving under the influence, an attorney from our firm may be able to negotiate your charges down to reckless driving or another lesser offense.

You may wonder: do I really need an attorney to represent me if I'm going to plead guilty? This is a valid question. In reality, plea bargain negotiations are a skill. If you do not hire a lawyer, the prosecution will assume that you are going to plead guilty. If prosecuting attorneys think that you are going to plead guilty, they will have the upper hand in the courtroom and probably won't offer you a favorable plea bargain. However, if you hire an aggressive attorney to help you negotiate, prosecuting attorneys are more likely to reduce the charges brought against you.

Every year, people are arrested for crimes they didn't commit. At the Law Offices of Richard S. Lawson, we are trained in DUI detection and standardized field sobriety testing. Because of this, we understand how inaccurate these tests can be. For example, police officers may ask a suspect to stand on one leg to test their coordination and balance. Yes, alcohol may impair one's ability to balance, but this is not the only reason a motorist could fail.

A woman in high-heels may have trouble balancing correctly. In some instances, officers ask drivers to walk in a straight line to determine whether or not they are intoxicated. Although alcohol may inhibit one's ability to walk in a straight line, a clumsy person could simply trip and fail the test. If you were arrested by an over-zealous police officer for a DUI that you didn't commit, contact an attorney from our firm today.

Skilled Legal Advocates in ALS Hearings

After you have been arrested for driving under the influence, you have ten days to schedule an ALS hearing. ALS hearings are conducted to give you an opportunity to present evidence in your favor so that you may have you driver's license reinstated. At the firm, we have vast experience working with clients in hearings. With a skilled attorney helping you understand the ins and outs of the ALS hearing process, you may stand a better chance of getting your license back after it has been suspended. For more information about DUI defense, call the Law Offices of Richard S. Lawson to schedule a case evaluation and see what we can do for you.

Decatur Resource Links

About Decatur
Map of the City
Official Website
DUI Information Center