DUI Lawyer in Sandy Springs

Sandy Springs DUI officers charge thousands of people with DUI and related charges such as hit and run and driving on a suspended license every year. When a Sandy Springs officer or a Georgia State Trooper are the arresting officer, when you are released from the jail you will be given a citation that likely has the first court date, known as the arraignment, scheduled for Sandy Springs Municipal Court. This is on Roswell Rd. in Sandy Springs GA and is a busy court. Traffic offenses are held here and there is a team of prosecuting attorneys that make plea negotiations and can work with your Sandy Springs DUI lawyer to reach a favorable resolution. All negotiations must get approved by the Sandy Springs judge however before the plea is final. Judges are often hesitant to accept DUI charges that have been reduced to reckless driving or something less serious.

If you cannot reach a favorable plea bargain or the judge does not accept the plea in Sandy Springs, the option is to "bind over" the case to Fulton County state court downtown. Here a new team of prosecutors and judges will be assigned the case and there will be another opportunity to plea bargain. If no agreement is reached, motions and a trial will be the next step. Sandy Springs Municipal Court is not a jury trial court. On any traffic offense that is an offense of state law such as a DUI, hit and run, reckless driving, or driving on a suspended license or without a license, you are entitled under the law to a trial by jury. While a jury trial can seem stressful, jurors are citizens in the community who may be able to view the circumstances of your DUI or arrest from a more common sense point of view than does a jaded judges or DUI prosecutor who is just looking to score another conviction.

A Sandy Springs DUI lawyer can help you determine if a trial is right for you. Of course, the decision is always yours to make, but an experienced DUI lawyer can help you determine defenses and weigh the strength of the evidence. Sometimes medical doctors or other experts can be witnesses on your behalf and a DUI lawyer in Sandy Springs GA can help you build the best possible defense for your case.

In addition to the court process described above, there is typcially an administrative license suspension proceeding against you as well. To stop an automatic suspension of your license, you can file an appeal letter to GA driver services within 10 days of your arrest. This letter will get you a hearing date. ALS hearings for Sandy Springs DUI cases are held once a month at the Roswell City Hall on Friday mornings. Our Sandy Springs DUI lawyers can help you with this process as well and hopefully, keep you driving!