Brought to you by Colorado DUI Drunk Driving Defense

Toledo DUI Lawyers

• Ramsey, Brian: Experienced and aggressive legal representation can mean the difference between being railroaded by the legal system, and reaping the benefits of your constitutional right to a fair trial.
• Davis Law Office: The term DUI, Driving under the influence, refers to an individual operating any type of vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance (an illegal narcotic or a prescription medication), you may be charged with DUI. While it is not illegal to drink alcohol and drive, it is illegal to drive Òunder the influenceÓ or "while intoxicated" when your ability to operate a car has been affected by alcohol or drugs, such as when you can no longer judge distances or react to emergencies while driving. With regards to drinking and driving, the legal limit is currently set at a 0.08% alcohol to blood ratio. DUI is a criminal traffic offense, whose penalties are more and more severe each time there is a conviction.Ê For example, a first-time DUI conviction doesnÕt require jail time as part of the sentence.Ê But a second-time DUI conviction within five (5) years of the first requires a minimum of ten (10) days jail.Ê You should also know that DUI can be charged as a felony under certain circumstances.Ê And, if arrested for DUI, your Ohio Drivers' License can be suspended by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
• Timothy Van Tuinen: DUI/OVI - Under Ohio Law *Please be advised that this is merely a short summary of only part of the Ohio Revised Code on this subject. The law changes on a regular basis and it would be proper to confirm this information with the current statutes now applicable under Ohio law. An OVI is described under the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) under Sections 4511.181 through 4511.197. An OVI is a misdemeanor of the first degree with a mandatory jail term of three consecutive days, as applicable in some sections of the ORC. The court may sentence the offender to both an intervention program and a jail term. However, the court may not impose a jail term that exceeds six months. The court may also suspend the three-day jail term in exchange for the offender attending a drivers' intervention program certified under section 3793.10 of the ORC. Fines of not less that two hundred and fifty dollars and not more than one thousand dollars are also imposed for an OVI. A class five license suspension as given by section 4510.02 of the ORC is also applicable to OVIÕs. Limited driving privileges may apply. An important note to make of these laws is the reference to "Implied Consent." Any person who operates a vehicle is deemed to have given consent to a chemical test if a police officer has reasonable grounds to believe the person was operating a vehicle under the influence. If the test is refused or failed an Administrative License Suspension (ALS) will be effectuated. Under ALS rules, any motorist stopped for drinking and driving who refuses to take the sobriety test or whose results exceed the legal limit of .08% Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) will have his license suspended immediately. This ALS can range from ninety days to five years, depending on previous offenses. Reinstatement fees are applicable to an ALS. Once an ALS has been issued, the court must hold, if requested, a hearing within five days of the arrest to determine if the court should affirm the suspension. At the hearing the court addresses the following elements: ¥ Was the arrest based on reasonable grounds? ¥ Did the officer request the violator to take a test? ¥ Was the violator made aware of the consequences if he refused or failed the test? ¥ Did the violator refuse or fail the test? *The person appealing the suspension has the burden of proof that one or more of the elements have not been met. If the court affirms the above elements, the suspension is upheld. If the answer is no to the above elements, the court terminates the suspension and reinstates driving privileges.
• David Shook: No Such Thing as ÒJust a TicketÓ Traffic violations are misdemeanors, but may have serious consequences. It is not always advisable to plead guilty and pay the fine. You could lose your license if you have three moving violations within one year. In some cases, you would not eligible for court supervision for a serious offense like DUI if you had two ÒminorÓ offenses like speeding or no seatbelt. You need a qualified attorney to fight your traffic tickets.
• David Willey: Being accused of a crime can be an extremely difficult and frightening experience. It is important that you find a criminal defense attorney who will work closely with you and give you the time and attention you need.
• Crosgrove Law Offices: Driving Under the Influence (Also known as DUI, DWI, OVI)

  You had one too many drinks. Now the officer has arrested you, given you a date when to go to court, and as for your license, well, you probably had to call a friend, or a cab, for a ride home.

  How will you get to work tomorrow?

  Will your boss fire you if he or she finds out?

  Does a DUI really carry mandatory incarceration, up to a maximum of six months of jail, and a 1-year license suspension?

  For most otherwise law-abiding people, a DUI is as bad as it gets. Even on a first offense there is mandatory incarceration, up to six months in jail, a 1-year license suspension (that probably started as a 90 day suspension you have probably already started), a $1,000.00 fine (trivial compared to the jail time and loss of license), and all the other horrors that go with being the defendant in a criminal proceeding.

  There is more bad news I could give you right now, but you donât need more worries÷getting to work tomorrow, and facing the judge in about 4 days is going to be enough to worry anyone. Instead, I will say that the above problems, including the ones you probably donât know about yet, are all manageable. In fact, the good news is that with the right legal help, you can wind up with:

  1. Driving privileges after 30 days if you refused the test, or 15 days even if you blew over the legal limit. (Maybe even sooner if the officer made a mistake filling out the paperwork.)
  2. The Court waiving the orange and yellow ÎDUIâ plates.
  3. No time spent in a jail.
  4. The DUI amended down to something less damaging to your employment possibilities and insurance premiums÷or even dismissed.
  5. You continuing on with your life.

  DUI law is very complicated. The legislature is constantly tinkering with the laws. At one point they handed us three major revisions of the DUI laws in an 18-month time period. And when revisions get handed down, the Trial Courts must then begin to interpret what the laws really mean. And when there is debate on those interpretations, the Courts of Appeal step in and interpret them. Naturally, those Appellate Courts disagree a lot from one district to another, and so then the Ohio Supreme Court has to step in and say with finality what the new law(s) really means.

  And then, of course, the Trial Courts start the process of interpreting what the Ohio Supreme Court has said, and, well, you get the picture÷we never know with any finality what Ohio DUI law is. It is always changing. Almost every week there are new cases decided on the subject, and handed down for attorneys and Trial Courts to be responsible for knowing.

  It is a treadmill that is unlike any other criminal area of practice. Assault, petty theft, passing bad checks are virtually static. Once you learn those areas, you might need to study one new case a year to find some novel nuance that is interesting, but probably irrelevant to any cases you will ever come across.

• Amy Stoner: You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your own situation.
• Westmeyer Law Offices: Drunk driving and traffic violations can be very damaging, leading to serious fines, suspended licenses, and sometimes even jail time. To avoid unnecessary punishments, you need an experienced traffic violation and DWI / DUI lawyer on your side.
• Loren Zaner: There are a number of field performance tests that various police agencies administer. These include, among others: horizontal gaze; walking a straight line and turning; one leg raise, alphabet; etc. Do not take any of these tests. The police are looking for evidence to use against you. They are not really looking to determine if you are under the influence of alcohol. They have made that determination by your driving, your breath, your eyes, the smell of alcohol and other observations they make. The field tests just support their conclusion. You do not have to take these tests. There is no consequence for your failure to do so, other than you will be considered uncooperative and arrested. They will likely arrest you anyway. Tell the officer you would like to do the tests, but your attorney advised you not to. Or, tell the officer you want to contact your attorney before performing any tests. You must realize that likelihood of your passing these tests are slim. Also, the officer could put down that you failed the test, even if you felt you passed. Your word versus the officerÕs is a losing proposition. Remember, you are likely nervous, tired and possibly under the influence. You have not done these tests before and are being judged by someone who has done and observed these over a thousand times. You are not likely satisfying the officerÕs requirements.
• Adrian Cimerman: If you or a loved one has been accused of a criminal offense, the manner in which the defense is handled will literally change one's life. An experienced criminal defense attorney is essential in guiding a defendant through the system and achieving the best possible result. Make no mistake about it, decisions made during the course of a criminal defense representation often determine whether one goes free or is incarcerated.
• Joel Kirkpatrick: Upon arrest for a DUI offense you will make an appearance in Court to begin the process of fighting for your rights. The officer who pulled you over will provide his reports to the prosecutor's office. The prosecutor may add or delete charges originally brought once he or she obtains the alcohol test results. You must enter a plea of NOT GUILTY. In no case should you plead guilty right away. It is essential to review all police reports, scientific results, and the procedures used at arriving at a particular alcohol level, before you enter a plea.The scientific procedures are not available at such an early stage of the proceedings. It takes time and effort to force the prosecution to provide you every shred of evidence needed to defend your case. You must obtain calibration results of the machines used. You must obtain the protocol used to test and evaluate your blood or breath sample. You must obtain evidence from the crime lab which may establish the machine used was not properly functioning at the time your test was analyzed. You may need the services of an expert witness - called a forensic toxicologist - to help assess your defenses.
• Daryl Rubin: You have a right to cross-examine the witness against you (usually the police officer). An experienced attorney is best equipped to handle cross-examination and increase the odds of successfully defending the charges against you.
• Jeffrey Zilba: Ohio has long had one of the toughest DUI laws in the country. Nonetheless, in the summer of 2000, a new bill was passed by the Ohio General Assembly, and signed by the Governor, which even further strengthened penalties against drunk drivers.
• Darrell Cosgrove: For a Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol charge, the stakes go higher. You are looking at a minimum of 3 days in jail, up to six months. Your license will be suspended, and you might get work privileges after the judge is willing to grant them and after you have enrolled in treatment for your alcohol problem.