Few things can ruin your day quite like a police siren. And we know full well that getting charged with a DUI can be a scary experience, especially when you have never been in any kind of trouble with the law before. If those red lights in the rear view mirror have left you feeling blue, not knowing what steps to take next, you need to get an appointment at Hunt Law with trusted Warren, OH DUI attorney Adam Hunt. We will give your case immediate attention and help get you back on the good road ASAP.
Fortunately, at our Northeast Ohio office, we’ve dealt with just about every kind of legal emergency. So, we can put your mind at ease, even when you are in frantic mode, and help solve your current woes with an effective defense strategy. Call our Warren law office if you or a family has been charged with a DUI. You can also schedule your free initial consultation online.
What Is an OVI (DUI)?
If you are charged with Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence of any form of intoxicant, you could be staring down jail or prison time, license suspension, community service and/or hefty fines.
Each state uses slightly different semantics to define the infraction but, essentially, Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence in Ohio means being caught behind the wheel of a motor vehicle and being impaired with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level of .08 or higher or with evidence of having ingested other controlled substances for mind-altering purposes.
While you might have started out with good intentions of having a little fun, we can assure you that an arrest and subsequent conviction in this area won’t be much fun for you. In fact, such an outcome can adversely impact your life for many years. That’s why heading into court without proper legal representation doesn’t make good sense.
OVI (DUI) Penalties in Ohio
Here in Ohio, we have found that OVI penalties are directly correlated to the amount of prior OVI convictions the offender has had over the course of the past ten years. So, for example, if this is your first offense you could be looking at as little as three days of incarceration (though it could be as much as six months), a fine starting at $375, and a license suspension of 1-3 years. However, those numbers increase dramatically with each conviction.
In any case, the key to minimizing the headaches related to your OVI (DUI) charge is to partner with no-nonsense DUI attorneys like the team at Hunt Law because our lawyers know how to structure a plea deal and to push back against prosecutors who tend to see you as just another criminal file rather than as an individual with a unique set of circumstances and people who are depending on you. You can feel secure in the knowledge that we have successfully negotiated many sentencing alternatives in which the court required a client to complete a treatment program and community service rather than hard time in jail and the severest of fines. When push comes to shove, we will always work tirelessly on your behalf too.
Aggravated OVI (DUI)
Not all DUI incidents are alike. Because of the increased danger posed to others, in OVI cases involving a BAC of .17% or more the punishment is ramped up significantly. If it is a person’s first aggravated OVI charge, the driver is required to serve three days in jail and complete three days of a driver’s intervention curriculum. After that, it only gets worse. For a second aggravated OVI offense there are 20 days required to be served in jail (or it could be changed to ten days in jail followed by 36 additional days of house arrest with strict alcohol monitoring). A third aggravated OVI conviction entails 60 days of jail time (that could be changed to 30 days in jail followed by 110 days of house arrest with the aforementioned alcohol monitoring). Plus, there will be fines and loss of driving privileges attached to all of the above.
Contact Us for DUI Defense Solutions
If you are still reeling from your recent DUI, you can always turn to Adam Hunt and the experienced team at Hunt Law to steady you in the days ahead. Our initial consultations are free at our Warren, OH DUI defense attorney’s office, so you won’t have to worry about outrageous fees while you are figuring out how to proceed. Call us today at 330.469.9836 or contact us via our online form to request an easy appointment at any time.