A DUI conviction can have a devastating impact on your life, including causing you to lose your driving privileges and increase your auto insurance premiums. An accomplished Forsyth County DUI Attorney can help you avoid a conviction.
Richard Lawson is a former Georgia DUI prosecutor who has shifted his legal career to defending those charged with drunk driving. He and his team have written multiple books on the subject of challenging DUI cases.
Experience
A DUI conviction has the potential to have a long-term impact on your life. It can affect your career (particularly if you have a job that involves driving) and can even lead to a termination of your employment. In addition, the penalties can vary widely depending on a number of factors including having prior DUI convictions, whether or not there was an injury accident involved, and even the type of vehicle you were driving at the time of the arrest.
Additionally, a DUI conviction will result in mandatory alcohol education and treatment programs. It will also require you to install an ignition interlock device in any vehicle you own or operate for a certain period of time. Your lawyer can help protect your rights by fighting the charge from start to finish. They can file motions, pretrial hearings, and plea hearings and may be able to negotiate a more favorable plea offer for you. If they cannot, they will fight the case at trial to achieve a positive outcome.
Reputation
An accomplished Forsyth County DUI lawyer is well-known for his or her ability to get DUI charges reduced or dismissed. He or she has also successfully prevented thousands of drivers from losing their licenses after being arrested for DUI in Georgia.
A good Forsyth County DUI attorney will help you to avoid license suspension by properly addressing any other charges that you may face. Failure to address these issues can result in a one-year period of no driving privileges in Georgia.
Forsyth County is a wealthy area and has become a destination for commuters from metropolitan Atlanta. This makes it a target for DUI patrols and enforcement. A Forsyth County DUI conviction can have consequences that reach far beyond the jail time and fines imposed by state law. Professionals who hold a commercial driver’s license are particularly at risk of losing their employment. A Forsyth County DUI Lawyer can protect your job and career. Forsyth County DUI lawyers have experience in representing clients facing a wide range of criminal charges.
Knowledge of the Court System
A Forsyth County DUI conviction can have serious personal, professional and financial consequences. Even a first time offense on a clean record can result in probation, fines and fees, driver’s license suspension and increased auto insurance rates.
The Forsyth County Solicitor’s Office is responsible for prosecuting misdemeanor cases in Forsyth County State Court. The current elected Solicitor General is Bill Finch.
Most DUI cases begin with an arraignment date in State Court. It is important to have a knowledgeable Forsyth County DUI Attorney at your arraignment who will be able to file necessary pleadings and motions to preserve and protect your rights.
DUI Court is a two-year treatment program that offers eligible DUI offenders an alternative to jail. The program requires participants to attend weekly group treatment sessions, participate in community support (12-step) meetings, submit to random alcohol and drug screenings at home and at work and to attend monthly status review hearings with the DUI Judge.
Representation at Trial
The Sherman Law Group understands that an arrest for driving under the influence can be emotionally challenging and confusing. The firm works to ease the stress by providing compassionate personal attention, answering questions, and keeping clients informed throughout the DUI case process.
Forsyth County State Court handles all DUI and other misdemeanor cases in the county. DUI arrests made by city police departments are docketed in the municipal court of the city where the arrest took place, while those arrested by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office or the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) are docketed in Forsyth County State Court unless they are a felony DUI.
Once your case is docketed in the county, the prosecutor’s office is responsible for resolving your matter. Your attorney can negotiate your plea into DUI Court with the Solicitor’s office, depending on your unique case facts. DUI Court is a program that requires a certain level of treatment, alcohol and drug screening (2-3x per week), curfews, and monetary payments to the court and treatment providers.