TOP-RATED DUI AND OVI LAWYERS IN CINCINNATI OH
Best DUI and OVI LAWYERS IN CINCINNATI: TOP DUI AND OVI DEFENSE STRATEGIES TO HELP BEAT YOUR DUI CHARGES
Being arrested for drunk driving can be a challenging experience. People often worry about the consequences they face, including the loss of their driving privileges, loss of employment, loss of professional licenses, loss of commercial driver license, hefty fines, and court fees. They wonder how the arrest may affect their family and their future.
Ohio’s laws concerning operating a vehicle under the influence (OVI) are constantly changing. The law prohibits operating a vehicle under the influence and driving under the influence (DUI), which are often used interchangeably.
In an OVI, or DUI, operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of 0.08 percent or higher is illegal. OVI convictions can result in misdemeanor or felony charges, especially with repeat offenses, additional traffic violations, and aggravating factors such as bodily harm or injury and wrongful death.
Our Cincinnati criminal defense attorney team has experience in the ever-changing DUI laws in Ohio. Our hands-on trial experience dealing with the local court and prosecutors is valuable in the suits we manage.
We have the legal tools and resources you need to change the outcome of your suit. Contact Ernst & Associates and book a consultation to discuss your suit with our criminal defense attorney team.
When you hire Ernst & Associates to help you with your DUI charges in Ohio or Kentucky, you’re hiring a law firm that specializes in helping people charged with DUI. We use proven strategies that have helped hundreds of people in your exact situation either beat the rap completely or reduce the charges. We are always prepared to go to court to fight for your rights.
If you’ve been charged with DUI or OVI, you probably want to get on with your life quickly and with as little damage done as possible. That’s what we do for our clients every day. Get your free consultation and let’s see how we can help you with your situation.
WHAT ARE THE PENALTIES FOR DRIVING WHILE IMPAIRED?
Drunk driving incidents claimed more than 600 lives in 2021. This is almost 45 percent of Ohio’s road deaths. About 30 percent of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers.
Drunk driving is a choice, and alcohol-induced deaths are preventable. This is why the penalties for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, even as a first offense, are strict. They get even trickier if you don’t learn your lesson the first time.
The first time you are convicted of DUI, you face mandatory incarceration of three to six days in jail or an alcohol program. You face up to six months in jail. You also face hefty mandatory fines, participation in a driver intervention program, and mandatory license suspension up to 3 years. Yellow restricted plates are compulsory on some first offenses.
If you are convicted of a second DUI within 10 years, you face mandatory jail time of ten or twenty days, mandatory immobilization of your vehicle, mandatory yellow plates on your car, 1-7 years driver license suspension and a mandatory ignition interlock device. The mandatory fines increase for the second conviction in 10 years as well.
An OVI and possible conviction for drunk driving, whether a first or more, will disrupt your life. Contact our criminal defense lawyers for defense strategies in a challenging DUI case and schedule a free consultation to discuss your charges.
WHAT IF I REFUSE A CHEMICAL TEST?
Under Ohio OVI laws, anyone who operates a car or truck on public or private property has already given consent for a chemical test if probable cause exists for operating a vehicle under the influence. This is implied consent, but you are always free to withdraw that consent.
If you get stopped, law enforcement can ask you to take a field sobriety test. You should politely refuse the field sobriety testing as it is not considered illegal and you don’t want to give evidence against yourself. You also must exit your vehicle if asked.
Generally, it’s advisable to refuse a chemical test. This can increase mandatory penalties so make sure you check with a lawyer on Ernst & Associates for legal advice on a case by case basis.
If you refused a chemical test and are facing a DUI, speak with a criminal defense attorney with Ernst & Associates, to see how this decision will impact your overall charges. Contact our team and schedule a free consultation with our criminal defense lawyers today to get the legal advice you nee
ABOUT DUI CHARGES IN OHIO
A report conducted by the Columbus, OH, dispatch shows that a third of Ohio residents were arrested for drunk driving, though it wasn’t the first time they drove impaired. They just didn’t get caught the first time.
Ohio and Kentucky law prohibits operating a vehicle under the influence (OVI) and driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and controlled substances. They both prohibit operating with a blood or urine alcohol content (BAC) level of 0.08 or higher.
There are growing concerns in Ohio, like many other states, about the role drunk driving plays in traffic accidents despite the different safety measures in place to prevent impaired driving. Car accidents are one of the primary causes of injuries, disabilities, and death. When alcohol is involved, inhibition is lowered and accidents can be catastrophic.
Holistically people don’t consider the consequences for their families when they get behind the wheel. A DUI offender’s family might suffer emotional and financial stress and instability, as the longstanding ramifications of a DUI conviction have a lasting impact on everyone involved.
All this to say, you and your family’s life will change after a DUI. If you are caught drinking and operating a vehicle, the best way to beat a DUI conviction, reduce your sentence, or possibly get your charges dropped is to hire a professional DUI attorney to build a DUI defense on your behalf.
CAN I GET A DEAL IF IT’S MY FIRST DUI OFFENSE?
About 30 percent of all car wrecks that cause fatalities are due to drunk driving. In 2020, there were 11,654 people killed in preventable car accidents. Despite these statistics, about 2.2 percent of adults in Ohio admit to operating a vehicle after drinking too much.
As the state of Ohio invests in keeping its residents safe on the road and otherwise, police officers, judges, and the prosecution take drunk driving charges seriously, and the penalties are designed to support this.
However, as a first-time offender with no other prior convictions, you have a MUCH better chance of a positive result with the help of a top-rated Cincinnati criminal defense attorney to negotiate an amended sentence or benefit from alternative sentencing.
A first-offense DUI conviction typically results in a jail sentence of three days to a maximum of six months, fines of $375 to $1,075, and a license suspension of one to three years. Depending on how high your blood alcohol content (BAC) level was at the time of the arrest, you could also face additional sanctions, such as an ignition interlock device and yellow license plates.
In some cases, alternative sentencing might include enrollment into a driver intervention program or probation instead of jail. How a plea deal typically works to get to this type of arrangement is negotiated between our criminal defense attorney and the prosecuting attorney.
Without a DUI attorney representing you, you might not have the option to discuss an amended sentence or negotiate better terms. This is because the attorney knows the laws and any potential loopholes that could apply to your case.
Get a Free Consultation: 513-579-9500
WHAT IS THE SENTENCE FOR A SECOND DUI?
A second DUI is considered a second offense if a driver is found guilty ofoperating a vehicle while impaired following a first offense in the last ten years. There are different sentencing options for a second-time offender, including:
- Jail sentence, from ten or twenty days up to six months
- An option to impose mandatory jail sentence, such as five or ten days in jail and 18-36 days on an electronic home monitoring system
- Fines and fees, from $525 to $1,625
- Possible probation following a jail sentence
- Mandatory drug and alcohol assessment and subsequent treatment, especially if severe drug and alcohol abuse is evident
- Driver’s license suspension of one year to a maximum of seven years
- Mandatory DUI license plates
- Mandatory ignition interlock device
- 90 day immobilization of your vehicle
The best-case scenario following a second DUI starts by hiring a professional Cincinnati DUI lawyer with Ernst & Associates. Our law firm handles simple and complex DUI cases and repeat offenses.
An ambitious team of Cincinnati DUI and OVI defense lawyers, we focus on identifying every possible opportunity to overturn your charges and get your case dismissed or reduced to a lesser offense.
If you are facing a second DUI and possible criminal charges, contact our law firm, and our Cincinnati DUI lawyers will get to work on building a DUI defense when you schedule our free consultation.
Get a Free Consultation: 513-579-9500
WHAT ARE COMMON MISTAKES IN A DUI OFFENSE?
When you get in trouble with Ohio law, it’s not uncommon for people to think there’s no alternative or option. The thinking usually is that the consequences are what the consequences are.
This is true to some degree, and not all circumstances are the same, especially for individuals that might be innocent. Some of the common mistakes people make in a DUI are:
- Assuming you don’t have a defense and that you have to face the maximum penalties
- Representing yourself in a criminal charge without legal representation to fight for you
- Not calling a criminal defense attorney after an arrest and communicating with the police directly
- Oversharing information with law enforcement during an arrest without an attorney present
- Performing ANY roadside field sobriety tests
- Taking a blood, breath, oral fluid, or urine test without speaking to an attorney
- Hiring a general practice attorney without experience in DUI charges
- Posting about your drunk driving conviction on social media
Now that you know the common mistakes, taking careful steps to protect yourself is a priority following an arrest. This starts with how you interact with law enforcement. Police officers will try to get you to share as much information as possible about your offense.
Law enforcement might say they are on your side, and you can trust them. Any information will be used against you during your case. Legally you must exit your vehicle upon request, but you are not legally required to have a conversation without your DUI attorney present.
Contact our law firm after your arrest to discuss a DUI defense with an experienced Cincinnati DUI and OVI defense lawyer.
HOW CAN A Cincinnati DUI and OVI LAWYER RESOLVE MY CASE?
A highly-experienced DUI attorney will greatly increase your odds of success when facing a first or second offense or even a third and beyond. Our goal is to get you the best possible result in your case.
All DUI cases are not the same. You ALWAYS have a fighting chance. This is especially true if you were wrongfully charged or law enforcement did not follow proper protocol in stopping or arresting you for the DUI.
Criminal attorneys are invaluable when managing and representing challenging criminal cases. Having this experience on your side is also critical to the final results of your issue if your impaired driving caused a collision and harmed another person or people in the process.
Clients come to us requiring assistance with all types of DUI cases, from 1st offense, 2nd offense, and far beyond. When you hire us to represent you, we will devote all of the time and attention your case requires until it’s resolved with the absolute best verdict possible.
Our Cinncinati DUI lawyers will review a variety of factors when handling your case, including the best plea deal for your specific circumstances. We will always challenge the prosecuting attorney and the judge to work the best result possible for you.
Contact the law offices of Ernst & Associates at 513-960-4699 to get your consultation with our highly experienced DUI attorneys and get the right answers to your questions.
