Arrested For DUI, Now What?

First: You need to gather the information available to you in order that a qualified, experienced Atlanta DUI trial lawyer can evaluate your case. Beware of plea lawyers who offer discount legal fees and little or no service. There are literally thousands of different defenses to any given Georgia DUI case. These defenses cannot be discovered without a careful review of at least the uniform traffic citation, accident report, police incident report, DUI incident report, DUI supplement report, 911 tape, arrest video tape, and/or Intoxilyzer 5000 video tape, depending on the jurisdiction of your arrest. At $250 dollars per hour, a competent lawyer cannot meet with the client, attend court, and competently investigate your case in two hours. Wonder if a lawyer is a "plea lawyer"? Ask him the last time he tried a DUI jury trial? Ask him how many DUI jury trials he has tried to a not guilty verdict? "Plea lawyers" do not take DUI cases to jury trial.

Second: Obtain a seven year driving history from the Georgia State Patrol and a criminal history from the Georgia Criminal Information Center (GCIC). These documents are important in deciding on an appropriate strategy by which to proceed with you case.

Third: For repeat offenders, immediately attend and document Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and obtain a drug and alcohol evaluation from a qualified psychologist. DUI School is usually a good idea for first-time offenders. A DUI school certificate can be useful in the circumstance of an administrative license suspension before trial.