DUI defense
A DUI charge, taken apart one piece at a time
Every drunk-driving case is built from the same parts: why you were stopped, how the tests were given, and what the paperwork says. We check each one.
Most people we meet were stopped on the way home from somewhere ordinary: a fish fry, a game, a shift that ran late. They've never been charged with anything and don't know what a first court date looks like.
We start with the deadlines, then get the squad video, the test records and the officer's report, and go through them with you line by line. Some cases have a problem worth a motion. Others are better resolved, and we'll tell you which we think yours is.
What we defend
First-offense charges
Second and later offenses
Refusing a breath or blood test
Drugged driving and prescription cases
Underage drinking-and-driving charges
Charges with an injury or a child in the car
What we look at
The parts of a stop we check first
The reason for the stop
An officer needs a lawful reason to pull you over. We compare the report with the squad and body camera video.
The field tests
Weather, footwear, a sloped shoulder and the instructions given all change how a field test reads.
The breath or blood test
We ask for the machine's maintenance records and the lab's chain of custody for any blood sample.
The timeline
When you drove, when you were tested and what happened in between can matter as much as the number.
Your rights at the station
What you were told about the test, and when, is written down. We read it closely.
What a conviction would cost you
Insurance, a job that needs a license, a commercial license. We weigh those before any plea.
Sample matters
How cases like these have ended
Invented examples of the kinds of outcomes these cases can reach. The owner of this site replaces them with real ones.
Dismissed
First-offense DUI
The squad video didn't show the lane deviation in the report.
Reduced
Second-offense DUI
Amended to reckless driving after the blood sample's paperwork came up short.
Not guilty
Test refusal
A jury found the driver wasn't properly told about the test.
Sample matters for illustration. Every case is different, and past results don't guarantee a similar outcome in yours.
DUI questions
What people ask in the first call
Will I lose my license?
Maybe, and maybe not right away. A DUI usually starts a license case of its own, separate from the criminal case, with a short deadline to ask for a hearing. We'll tell you where yours stands on the first call.
I refused the test. Is that worse?
A refusal often brings its own suspension and its own hearing. It also means there's no number in the case, which changes how it's defended.
My son or daughter is under 21. What's different?
Underage drivers often face a lower limit and different penalties. A parent can come to the consult, but the driver is our client, and we'll talk with them directly.
Do I have to go to court?
For most charges, yes, at least once. We go with you and tell you beforehand what will happen and what to say.
Charged this week? Call before the hearing deadline passes
The first consult is free, with a lawyer from the office nearest you.