You never thought it would happen to you. Driving home one night after having a couple of drinks at a business dinner in Sandy Springs or after having drinks with friends in Atlanta, you look in your rear-view mirror to see blue lights flashing behind you. You pull over and your heart starts racing. You have never been pulled over by a police officer before. What should you say? What should you do?
Being pulled over by a Georgia police officer who has a suspicion that you have been drinking and driving is a confusing situation. There will be a lot of information to process quickly. The police officer will ask you questions about your evening, he will administer a series of field sobriety tests and, if he believes you are driving while intoxicated, he will administer a breathalyzer. If you are then arrested for driving under the influence, the consequences will be serious. You need to contact an experienced Alpharetta DUI attorney immediately.
In Georgia, a DUI is considered a criminal misdemeanor charge, unless you have been convicted on multiple occasions, then the charge increases to a felony. The legal limit for blood alcohol content (BAC) in Georgia is .08%, but you can be convicted for driving under the influence even with a BAC of .05% if the police officer believes you were an unsafe driver. In addition, a driver under the age of 21 can be convicted of driving while intoxicated if the driver’s BAC is only .02%. Your license and your future could be in jeopardy after only one drink.
What Are the Penalties for a DUI Conviction in Georgia?
Georgia police are serious about enforcing the state’s DUI laws. If you have been convicted for driving under the influence in Georgia, you can expect to face the following consequences:
- Jail time
- Fines of up to $1000
- License suspension, generally for one year
- Probation
- Community service
- DUI school
- Increased insurance premiums
- Conviction becomes a part of your permanent record
The judge will also take additional factors into consideration when determining the penalties, such as the number of prior convictions and whether a child was in the car. These two factors will inevitably result in harsher consequences.
Imagine facing these serious repercussions. The loss of your license alone will impact your ability to care for your family, and with a misdemeanor on your permanent record, this may also impact your current and future employment. Call Scott Miller, an experienced DUI lawyer in Alpharetta, to protect your rights and to keep your record clean.
What Can the Law Office of Scott Miller Do for You?
Scott Miller, an experienced Georgia DUI lawyer, will contest the charges against you by:
- Showing lack of probable cause for the initial stop
- Questioning the police officer’s procedures following the stop, including the field sobriety tests
- Suppressing statements made by you to the police
- Probing into the faultiness or unreliability of the breathalyzer and/or the blood alcohol content results
- Expunging the records, as a DUI misdemeanor charge remains on your record permanently unless it is expunged
If You Have Been Arrested for a DUI or DWI in Northern Georgia, Call Attorney Scott Miller
An arrest for a DUI is difficult to handle. Watching your vehicle get towed while the police officer puts you in the back of his car is a frightening experience. If you have been arrested for DUI or DWI, call Scott Miller immediately so he can start working on your case. Scott Miller, a DUI attorney in Alpharetta, has built quality relationships with judges, prosecutors and clerks in Georgia. Scott will work for you to dismiss or reduce the charges and to keep your record clean. Attorney Miller has experience recognizing errors and issues with the procedures involved with a DUI arrest. Do not plead guilty; there is too much at stake.
If you have been arrested in the Alpharetta, Roswell or Sandy Springs areas, call the Law Office of Scott Miller at (770) 408-1001. A well-crafted defense is important to beat the charge, and Scott will work to develop this defense to protect your rights, your license and your future.
